'Pattern of Extravagant Expenditures': GOP Congressman Faces Probe Over a $7,760 Hotel Stay and Family Travel

A Texas Republican congressman is facing scrutiny over hotel bills, premium flights, and family-linked travel bookings to determine whether some expenses were connected to official duties.

Rep. Lance Gooden was referred to the House Ethics Committee after the Office of Congressional Conduct (OCC) identified what it called a 'pattern of extravagant expenditures.' The OCC found substantial reason to believe he may have sought taxpayer reimbursement for non-official travel and used campaign funds for unrelated purposes.

One claim was a $7,760 (£5,836) hotel reimbursement for an approximately 12-day stay in May 2025. It was the most expensive individual lodging claim submitted by a House member that year, according to an analysis of expense records.

High Travel Reimbursements and Family Bookings

Gooden reimbursed himself nearly $184,000 (£138,368) for travel expenses in 2025, more than any other member of Congress. His lodging claims exceeded $72,600 (£54,595), nearly twice the amount claimed by the next-highest member, Rep. Pete Sessions of Texas.

His six most expensive lodging claims each exceeded $4,000 (£3,008) for short trips outside Washington. Some claims fell under a congressional programme that does not require receipts.

The OCC questioned premium airfares, extended car rentals, and hotel rates sometimes exceeding $1,000 (£752) a night. House rules require official travel costs to be reasonable, ordinary, and necessary.

Investigators also flagged at least two occasions when staff flights appeared to have been booked through the Chase Travel portal associated with Gooden's wife. This could have generated private rewards from publicly funded travel.

Records also showed a second $378.48 (£285) reimbursement request for a flight Gooden took with his son, matching his own share of the fare. The OCC said the duplicate claim may have been an inadvertent error.

Campaign Spending Also Under Review

Investigators questioned whether campaign funds paid for trips without a clear political purpose. Examples included a $17,161 (£12,905) stay at a luxury resort in Vail, Colorado, in 2024, and a 2022 trip to New Orleans with Gooden's wife.

The OCC also questioned discrepancies between campaign travel reimbursements and itemised expenses, raising questions about their documentation and campaign purpose.

Gooden's lawyer disputed the office's account of his cooperation. In a 16 June response, counsel said investigators demanded extensive official, campaign, and personal records without identifying specific transactions. Counsel called the request unreasonably burdensome and said Gooden offered to answer specific allegations.

Counsel also challenged an allegation involving a journey from Dulles International Airport towards the Capitol in October 2025. The response said the trip was for official business near the Cannon House Office Building. A separate campaign-funded staff lunch took place at nearby Bullfeathers Restaurant.

Ethics Committee Has Not Found a Violation

Gooden called the referral 'insane' and 'bogus', describing it as a 'witch hunt'. He also called for another House committee to examine the OCC's selection of cases.

The House Ethics Committee said on 9 November that it would continue gathering information and make no further public comment while its initial review remained ongoing. It stressed that further review does not mean a violation occurred or constitute a judgement on Gooden's conduct.

The OCC recommended further scrutiny; it did not make a final determination that Gooden broke House rules or the law.