The House Ethics Committee has announced that it is investigating Republican Representative Lance Gooden of Texas. The announcement places Gooden under formal congressional scrutiny, though it does not itself establish that he has broken any law or House rule.

The committee did not disclose the subject of the inquiry or the underlying allegations. Such announcements can follow a referral from the Office of Congressional Ethics, and the panel is required to make a public statement within 45 days; Gooden had previously faced a watchdog complaint over disclosures of stock purchases.