Federal report accuses Georgia congressman of misusing funds

ATLANTA (AP) — A U.S. House of Representatives report concludes that a Georgia congressman used campaign funds to pay for membership, green fees and meals at two exclusive golf courses.

A separate taxpayer-funded account paid for holiday parties for U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop’s staff over four years, investigators said.

The House Committee on Ethics is reviewing the case to determine whether the Democrat from Albany violated congressional rules or federal laws, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

Bishop has since paid back some of the expenses, the newspaper reported.

The congressman’s attorney says he has also implemented new policies and put a different campaign treasurer in place.

“Representative Bishop acknowledges that mistakes were made by his campaign and that he should have provided better oversight on these matters,” his attorney wrote in response to the preliminary report. “This is a responsibility he does not take lightly, and he intends to make sure careless errors like this never happen again.”

The golf charges mainly involve two courses: The Green Island Country Club in Columbus and Stonebridge Golf and Country Club in Albany, the newspaper reported. The campaign account paid for Bishop’s monthly membership fees, guest green charges, meals and more until the practice was pointed out as problematic by the Office of Congressional Ethics.

Bishop could face fines, censure or expulsion if Ethics Committee members believe his case is that severe, the Journal-Constitution reported. The committee can also refer the case to the U.S. Department of Justice or the Federal Election Commission.