Lang
3/5/25
U.S. Senator Joni Ernst is facing accusations that she had inappropriate relationships with military personnel who have dealings with the Senate Armed Services Committee on which she serves.
ProPublica reports The Iowa senator was one of three women on Capitol Hill with whom Air Force Maj. Gen. Christopher Finerty has had such relations. The news organization also reports Ernst had a previous romantic relationship with a legislative affairs official for a different branch of the military, the Navy.
Ernst and the officials were not married at the time, and Senate rules do not bar lawmakers from entering into romantic relationships with lobbyists or other legislative advocates. But ethics experts say such relationships can create a conflict of interest, and other lawmakers have been criticized for such behavior in the past.
The full ProPublica report can be found here.
This isn’t the first time Ernst has been accused of inappropriate sexual behavior. During 2019 divorce proceedings, Ernst and her then-husband accused each other of having extramarital affairs.