The New York Democrat allegedly used official resources for campaign purposes.
An ethics watchdog group is accusing Representative Tom Suozzi (D., N.Y.) of abusing official resources based on his social media posts.
The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT), a right-leaning organization, is filing a complaint against Suozzi with the Office of Congressional Ethics demanding an investigation into Suozzi for alleged violations of federal law and House ethics rules, National Review has learned.
The complaint is based on social media activity on Suozzi’s official account and campaign account. In July, Suozzi posted a video about immigration onto his official account and four minutes later he shared the same video on his campaign account.
Suozzi speaks about deportation policy in the video and fixing the dysfunctional immigration system. He asserts that illegal immigrant criminals should be summarily deported, but hardworking and churchgoing people should not be living in fear. He filmed the 50 second video outside the U.S. Capitol near congressional office buildings.
Lawmakers are not permitted to use official resources for campaign purposes, so they cannot put campaign content onto their official accounts. Likewise, their official social media accounts are not allowed to share and amplify social media posts from their campaign accounts, according to FACT.
“Rep. Suozzi’s conduct is not a trivial mistake. When Members choose to break these ethics rules they do so to advantage themselves politically–but it is at the expense of the public’s faith in government,” said Kendra Arnold, executive director of FACT.
“These laws are in place to protect both tax-payer dollars and the public’s trust in a fair and impartial government. When the public sees blatant disregard for the most basic and obvious ethics rules, confidence in Congress erodes. In this case, Rep. Suozzi’s actions appear clear and the Office of Congressional Ethics should act quickly to hold him accountable”
The complaint cites sections of the House Ethics Manual and congressional handbook that dictate how lawmakers are supposed to equip official resources and handle their social media accounts. It also refers to House Ethics Committee guidance on campaign activities. Official resources are anything funded by taxpayers including government buildings, offices, member websites, and government employee time.
“The Congressman takes his ethics responsibilities seriously and will review the complaint accordingly. We are committed to complying with all applicable ethics rules,” said Matt Fried, Chief of Staff for Suozzi.
The timing of the posts makes it likely Suozzi’s campaign office and official office coordinated the posts, potentially violating federal law and house rules, the complaint asserts. FACT’s complaint does not present direct evidence of coordination. No additional social media posts are mentioned in the complaint.
Suozzi is running for another term in 2026 in New York’s third district, an area President Donald Trump won in 2024, making it one of the most competitive congressional districts nationwide. He is considered a moderate Democrat and has a long history of winning tough races.