Sheriff Mike Ezell Requests Status Update from Committee on Ethics of the U.S. House of Representatives Regarding Report of Allegations Against Congressman Palazzo

(Pascagoula, Miss.) – Today, Republican Congressional candidate Sheriff Mike Ezell sent a letter to the Committee on Ethics of the U.S. House of Representatives requesting a status update on several pending allegations against Congressman Steven Palazzo. 

Nearly one year after the Board of the Office of Congressional Ethics voted unanimously to issue a report (Review No. 20-2124) on March 1, 2021 recommending further review of several allegations against Congressman Steven Palazzo of violations of “House rules, standards of conduct and federal law,” Sheriff Ezell’s letter asks for an update on the investigation. 

Specifically, Ezell’s letter requests the status of the following pending allegations of misconduct against Congressman Palazzo that were described in the 47-page report from the Office of Congressional Ethics: 

• “Rep. Palazzo’s campaign committee, Palazzo for Congress, reported campaign disbursements that may not be legitimate and verifiable campaign expenditures attributable to bona fide campaign or political purposes. If Rep. Palazzo converted campaign funds from Palazzo for Congress to personal use, or if Rep. Palazzo’s campaign committee expended funds that were not attributable to bona fide campaign or political purposes, then Rep. Palazzo may have violated House rules, standards of conduct, and federal law.” 

• “Rep. Palazzo may have improperly spent a portion of his Members’ Representational Allowance (MRA) on personal or campaign expenses. If Rep. Palazzo spent MRA funds on personal or campaign expenses, then Rep. Palazzo may have violated House rules, standards of conduct, and federal law.” 

• “Rep. Palazzo may have performed official actions to assist his brother, Kyle Palazzo. If Rep. Palazzo performed special favors for his brother, then Rep. Palazzo may have violated House rules, standards of conduct, and federal law.” 

Nearly one year ago, the report recommended that the Committee on Ethics “further review” all of the above allegations because: 

• “there is substantial reason to believe that Rep. Palazzo converted funds to personal use to pay expenses that were not legitimate and verifiable campaign expenditures attributable to bona fide campaign or political purposes.” 

• “there is substantial reason to believe that Rep. Palazzo spent MRA funds on personal or campaign expenses.” 

• “there is substantial reason to believe that Rep. Palazzo performed special favors for his brother.” 

The report also stated that several witnesses, including Palazzo, “by declining to provide requested information to the OCE (Office of Congressional Ethics), did not cooperate with the OCE review.” As a result, the report “recommends the issuance of subpoenas to Rep. Palazzo” and several other people, companies and organizations named in the report. 

“I’m sending a letter to the Committee on Ethics today to respectfully request they provide an update on all of the allegations raised against Congressman Palazzo nearly one year ago”, Sheriff Ezell stated. “These are serious allegations and the people of South Mississippi have a right to know the final outcome of this ethics investigation on Congressman Palazzo as they consider who to vote for in the upcoming election.”

Ezell started his campaign for Congress in April, 2021, and announced his campaign’s County Chairs in every county in December, 2022. Ezell was the first candidate to file his qualifying paperwork for this year’s Republican primary election which will be held on June 7, 2022. 

Sheriff Ezell is a Republican who has served as Jackson County Sheriff since 2014 when he was first elected in a special election and re-elected to the position in 2015, and again in 2019 as the first Sheriff in Jackson County to run unopposed. Sheriff Ezell has 40 years of service in law enforcement including working in the Pascagoula Police Department, Chief of Police of Ocean Springs, and Sheriff of Jackson County. 

Ezell graduated from the Mississippi Law Enforcement Training Academy and obtained a degree in criminal justice from the University of Southern Mississippi. He was also selected to attend the FBI National Academy and later worked with the FBI on their Safe Streets Task Force. He is an active member of the Jackson County Republican Club and the Mississippi Sheriffs’ Association. He and his wife, Suzette, live in Pascagoula and are active members of First Baptist Church of Pascagoula. They have one daughter, son-in-law, and a granddaughter.