House ethics committee reviews evidence in complaint alleging mismanagement of caucus funds by Representative Lindsey

The House Committee on Ethics met to examine new evidence and Representative Mandy Lindsey's written response to a complaint that she mismanaged caucus funds and frequently used the petty cash fund for personal expenses.

Chair (committee) opened the session saying the panel would "review some more of the evidence that has come in over the last week" and asked the Office of Legislative Legal Services (OLLS) for updates. OLLS attorney Yelena Love told the committee that most parties had responded to evidence requests and that "the Marriott indicated that they can't share any information without a subpoena."

The complaint, filed by Representative Marshall, alleges three categories of concern: (1) reimbursement involving $2,500 from a campaign account; (2) $6,358.68 tied to caucus retreat charges that were initially believed to be on a personal card; and (3) a one-time motel payment in Oregon in March 2025. The chair said the committee's duty is to determine whether the facts support a reasonable belief or probable cause that an ethics violation occurred.

Members raised questions about recordkeeping and access to account information. Representative Mabry noted there were "a decent amount of charges that were made on cards that were not on cards when the fund had, like, $40 in it," and asked why purchases occurred when balances appeared insufficient. The chair and several members described bank statements showing one debit card in 2023, three cards issued in 2024 and then two by March 2025, and said it was unclear who had possession of cards or who had online access to the account.

Representative Garcia Sander pressed the committee on monitoring, asking, "if I use my debit card and never check my balance, like, how do I know I still have money in there?" Members said the record showed poor, inconsistent reconciliation and flagged gaps in documentation where receipts or check images were missing or did not clearly link to payment sources.

The committee reviewed Lindsey's explanation that she sometimes used personal funds to cover caucus expenses when the caucus card was not available and later kept receipts and notes; Lindsey also said she wrote a personal check to reimburse the caucus that did not clear as she expected. The chair noted an item labeled Exhibit 4, a check dated "04/21/2025," and a second deposit dated "03/03/2025" that the committee will reconcile to establish timing.

Members asked OLLS to obtain documentary bank evidence that would help verify deposits and check images. Director DeChicco of OLLS said the committee could request electronic images and other records, characterizing the request as for "documentary evidence, the check, the electronic copy of the check."

Several members, including Representative Woodrow, described the bookkeeping as "exceptionally sloppy" and likened the records to a "scrambled egg," saying that while mismanagement is apparent there was not yet clear evidence of criminal intent. Members discussed whether caucus chairs have a defined fiduciary duty and recommended that the committee consider advising leadership to set clearer procedures for account access, signature cards and required receipts when leadership transitions occur.

The committee agreed to two parallel tracks: pursue the specific complaint against Representative Lindsey per the Marshall filing, and draft general recommendations to the House on clearer expectations for caucus account management. Members asked OLLS to seek the bank images and to add missing items to the shared, editable timeline; the committee set a follow-up meeting Monday morning to continue the review. The chair adjourned the session.

What the committee asked for next: OLLS was asked to request electronic images of checks and bank-deposit records; committee staff will confirm dates for contested deposits and add those items to the shared timeline before reconvening.