Gephardt Faces Ethics Accusations Dunn’s Charges Focus On Real Estate, Campaign Money

Rep. Jennifer Dunn, R-Wash., filed ethics charges Friday accusing the Democratic leader in the House, Rep. Richard Gephardt, of misleading the Ethics Committee over real estate deals and of possible campaign finance violations.

Dunn said she began looking into Gephardt’s dealings after reading about them in “Insight,” a conservative political magazine.

Her complaint comes as the leader of the Republican majority in the House of Representatives, Speaker Newt Gingrich, is under continuing attack from Democrats over ethics charges.

Gephardt’s spokeswoman, Laura Nichols, called Dunn’s complaint “a rehash of old and discredited allegations.”

Dunn’s complaint sets out four charges against Gephardt involving property in North Carolina:

His federal disclosure statement for 1991 listed the property as a secondary residence, but in his tax return he claimed it as an investment property.

He listed the new property as an investment, but on a bank loan the same year, he described the property as a secondary home.

From 1992 through 1994, he failed to disclose personal debts totaling $66,000 incurred from these deals.

Transactions between Gephardt’s campaign organization and several businesses involved in his real estate dealings.