Rep. Jim Costa of Fresno was subject of misconduct probe, says he ‘fully cooperated’
U.S. Rep. Jim Costa, a Democrat from Fresno, was under investigation by a congressional ethics committee for allegations that he made inappropriate advances to two congressional interns, a new report found.
According to a report published Monday by NOTUS (News of the United States), a Washington D.C.-based digital outlet, Costa was under investigation in early 2023 after a former House Democratic staffer filed an ethics complaint. The staffer alleged Costa made uncomfortable sexual advances toward her when she was a 22-year-old intern for a different lawmaker in 2020.
The investigation was not previously reported or required to be made public because both Office of Congressional Conduct (formerly the Office of Congressional Ethics) and the Ethics Committee moved to dismiss the case, citing a lack of evidence, according to the NOTUS report
In a statement, Costa’s press secretary Lisa Ortiz confirmed the investigation and said all ethics complaints should always be taken seriously.
“Rep. Costa fully cooperated with a review conducted by the Office of Congressional Compliance and the House Committee on Ethics several years ago. The OCC recommended dismissal, and the Ethics Committee unanimously voted to dismiss the matter,” the statement said.
Costa’s office took issue with a number of the accounts provided by NOTUS via email and said it would not address them point-by-point.
“The actions of the OCC and the Ethics Committee speak for themselves,” the statement said.
Costa, 74, currently sits on the House Committee on Agriculture and House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
The third-generation Central Valley farmer and descendant of Portuguese immigrants has served in Congress since 2005. He’s running for his 12th term in office to represent the Fresno area’s 21st Congressional District, which includes parts of Fresno and Tulare counties, including the cities of Dinuba, Fresno, Fowler, Kingsburg, Orange Cove, Parlier, Reedley, Sanger, Selma and Visalia.
Several challengers from both sides of the aisle are vying to unseat Costa in the upcoming June 2 primary election.
A representative from Costa’s campaign team didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday afternoon.
While his opponents didn’t appear to make public noise online about the investigation, the Republican Parties of Madera and Tulare counties shared the report on their social media pages.
Details from report on Costa investigation
According to the woman, who is unnamed in the report, she was first approached by Costa on Feb. 5, 2020 when she attended an event hosted by the California State Society, a nonprofit organization that connects Californians in Washington D.C.
The woman told OCE staff that Costa approached her as she was leaving and waiting for her items in the checked bag area. He asked her to dance, and she described the encounter as “uncomfortable,” “sexual” and “awkward.”
He later invited her to dinner and offered to help her with her career, the report said.
“Which when it comes from a powerful man, does not mean I want to help you. It means what will you give me in return,” she told investigators.
She said she waited until she had a more secure staff job in Congress before she decided to file the complaint.
The woman said she also witnessed another incident involving Costa and a female intern in a Senate office at a separate California State Society event in December 2021. The woman told the investigators that she saw Costa approach a group of interns and ask a Senate intern to dance, according to the June 2023 interview transcript reviewed by NOTUS.
The Committee on Ethics said in a letter dated April 20th that it strongly encourages anyone who may have experienced sexual misconduct by a House Member or staffer, or who has knowledge of such conduct, to contact the Committee, the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights or the Office of Employee Advocacy.
