BLUF:[Hot Air] After a non-apology from the airline and an offer of a voucher in exchange for her troubles, Simon was still not satisfied with the treatment she had received. And now, according to her Twitter feed, she’s asked the Congressional Ethics Committee to look into the matter.
As Simon indicates, it’s uncertain if the committee will even take up the question, but it might be worth a look. If Jackson Lee actually did ask to bump someone and cooperated with United to take Simon’s seat, that’s probably not a criminal offense, but it certainly sounds unethical. But even if the version of the story being told by United is true, there are still questions to be raised. Did the Congresswoman originally book a coach flight and then pay for an upgrade or was it a courtesy move on the part of the airline? If the latter, that constitutes a "gift" with significant cash value. And if it was paid for, then the taxpayers shelled out a considerable amount of dough for Jackson Lee to have the best seat on the plane. Was that recorded in her expense report?