" ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

111TH CONGRESS

1st Session 

REVIEW NO.

09–7000

OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL ETHICS 

UNITED STATES HOUSE OF 

REPRESENTATIVES

—————

Report and Findings 

Transmitted to the 

Committee on Standards of Official Conduct 

on August 6, 2009 

and released publicly pursuant to H. Res. 895 of the 

110th Congress as amended 

August 2009 

U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON :

" ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

111TH CONGRESS

1st Session 

REVIEW NO.

2009

09–7000

OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL ETHICS 

UNITED STATES HOUSE OF 

REPRESENTATIVES

—————

Report and Findings 

Transmitted to the 

Committee on Standards of Official Conduct 

on August 6, 2009 

and released publicly pursuant to H. Res. 895 of the 

110th Congress as amended 

August 2009 

51–611
(II)

OFFICE OF 

CONGRESSIONAL ETHICS 

BOARD

UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

ONE HUNDRED ELEVENTH CONGRESS

DAVID SKAGGS, Chair

PORTER GOSS, Co-Chair

YVONNE BURKE 

KAREN ENGLISH 

ALLISON HAYWARD 

JAY EAGEN 

WILLIAM FRENZEL 

ABNER MIKVA 

Leo J. Wise, Chief Counsel & Staff Director 

Elizabeth Horton, Investigative Counsel 
(1)

REPORT

Review No. 09–7000 

The Board of the Office of Congressional Ethics, by a vote of no 

less than four members, on July 24, 2009, adopted the following report and ordered it to be transmitted to the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct of the U.S. House of Representatives. 

SUBJECT: Representative Sam Graves 

NATURE OF THE ALLEGED VIOLATION: Representative Sam 

Graves, Ranking Member of the Committee on Small Business, invited Witness A to testify at a Committee hearing on ‘‘The State 

of the Renewable Fuels Industry in the Current Economy.’’ The 

hearing was held on March 4, 2009. Witness A and Representative 

Graves’ wife, Lesley Graves, both hold financial interests in the 

same renewable fuels plants in Missouri. Representative Graves 

conduct may have violated House Rule 23 and House precedent regarding conflict of interest. 

RECOMMENDATION: The Board of the Office of Congressional 

Ethics recommends that the Committee on Standards of Official 

Conduct further review the above described allegations concerning 

Representative Graves. 

VOTES IN THE AFFIRMATIVE: 6 

VOTES IN THE NEGATIVE: 0 

MEMBER OF THE BOARD OR STAFF DESIGNATED TO 

PRESENT THIS REPORT TO THE STANDARDS COMMITTEE: 

Leo Wise, Staff Director & Chief Counsel. 

(3)

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

I. INTRODUCTON ............................................................................................ 5 

A. Summary of Allegations ................................................................... 5 

B. Jurisdictional Statement .................................................................. 6 

C. Procedural History ............................................................................ 6 

D. Summary of Investigative Activity .................................................. 7 

II. REPRESENTATIVE GRAVES’ WITNESS SELECTION FOR COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS HEARING ......................................... 7 

A. Applicable Laws, Rules and Standards of Conduct ....................... 7 

B. Representative Graves’ Wife, Lesley Graves, and Witness A 

Both Have Financial Interests in Renewable Fuels Plants Located in Craig and Mexico, Missouri. ........................................... 7 

C. Representative Graves Invited Witness A to Testify Before the 

Committee on Small Business on the Renewable Fuels Industry. ................................................................................................... 8 

D. Representative Graves Appeared to be Aware of Potential Conflicts of Interest with Witness Selection Prior to the March 

4, 2009 Committee Hearing. .......................................................... 15 

E. Representative Graves’ Staff Appeared to be Aware of Potential 

Conflicts of Interest with Witness Selection Prior to the March 

4, 2009 Committee Hearing. .......................................................... 18 

III. CONCLUSION ............................................................................................... 21