ProPublica’s latest investigation into “inappropriate” relationships of an Air Force general is raising ethical questions about U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) — a powerful Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee.
The ProPublica report builds off a 2023 report that revealed an Air Force general who oversaw lobbying to Congress “engaged in sexual, inappropriate, or unprofessional relationships” with five women, including three who worked on Capitol Hill. The Air Force inspector general’s report redacted the names of those who worked on the Hill.
ProPublica reported, based on two sources familiar with the investigation, that Ernst was one of the women who had a relationship with Maj. Gen. Christopher Finerty. Three additional sources told the investigative outlet that Ernst had “a previous romantic relationship with a legislative affairs official for a different branch of the military, the Navy.”
A spokesperson for Ernst, a combat veteran and influential voice on military affairs, did not tell ProPublica about the alleged relationships but argued that Ernst has maintained her independence.
“The fake news media is clearly too busy gossiping to report the real news that Senator Ernst is focused on cutting waste at the Pentagon. Her votes and work in the Senate are guided by the voices of Iowans who elected her and her constitutional duty alone. Any insinuation otherwise by tabloid ‘journalism’ is a slanderous lie — full stop,” the statement said.
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A former legislative affairs official for the military told ProPublica that people in that role aren’t officially “lobbyists but for all intent and purposes that’s their job. ... From an ethics standpoint, it’s severely problematic.” A former Air Force officer who worked for Finerty said the perception in the office was that his relationship with Ernst “absolutely gave the Air Force undue influence.”
Six sources who worked for the Air Force or in Congress told ProPublica that they had heard about a relationship between Ernst and Finerty and there had been concerns about it for years. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because they did not have permission to speak publicly or feared for their jobs. One source said that they were told about the relationship by one of the two participants. Two sources said they heard from witnesses interviewed by the inspector general that Ernst was a focus of the investigation.
The 2023 report from the Air Force inspector general included many intimate and salacious details about Finerty’s alleged relationships with the five women but did not name those women.
Politico reported on the 2023 report in January, noting that Finerty’s relationships with the Capitol Hill women “consisted of sexting with two of them and sexting plus a ‘personally intimate’ relationship with a third person, according to the report.”
The investigation included interviews with colleagues of Finerty and military legislative liaisons. The report is heavily redacted and does not name what specific relationships the colleagues of Finerty were discussing.
“I honestly felt sick to my stomach....because it just felt so sleazy and inappropriate,” a legislative liaison told investigators about one of the relationships, according to the report.
“Was there a perception in my office that it was unethical? Yes,” a separate colleague told investigators, according to the report.
Stories by Lauren Sforza
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