Multiple Ethics Complaints Force Congressman Matt Cartwright to Amend Financial Disclosures

Multiple Ethics Complaints Force Congressman Matt Cartwright to Amend Financial Disclosures

The Washington Examiner is now reporting that after being the subject of two ethics complaints, he was forced to amend two years of his financial disclosures to acknowledge his wife also earned income from the law firm.

October 22, 2019
Multiple Ethics Complaints Force Congressman Matt Cartwright to Amend Financial Disclosures

Since taking office, Rep. Matt Cartwright has introduced multiple bills that would massively increase the mandatory liability insurance for truck drivers. Last month, The Washington Examiner revealed the legislation would directly benefit his family’s law firm, in which Cartwright owns a multimillion-dollar stake.

“In June and July, the Pennsylvania Democrat introduced two bills that would require commercial truck drivers to purchase insurance liability coverage at a minimum of $4.5 million, a 600% hike from the current $750,000 minimum. Cartwright previously introduced a similar proposal just months after joining Congress in 2013.”

But the trouble for Cartwright didn’t stop there. The Washington Examiner is now reporting that after being the subject of two ethics complaints, he was forced to amend two years of his financial disclosures to acknowledge his wife, Marion Munley, also earned income from the law firm.

“Cartwright and his wife have profit-sharing agreements with Munley Law valued at between $2 million and $10 million, according to Cartwright’s 2018 financial disclosure report. Munley Law, which was founded by Cartwright’s father-in-law, bills itself in advertisements as “the nation’s leading truck accident team.”

It turns out Cartwright’s wife is an attorney for the firm, and she specializes in commercial truck accident-related injury lawsuits.

“Until July, Munley also served as chair of the Trucking Litigation Group of the American Association for Justice, a trial attorney trade group that has been lobbying for Cartwright’s bill, according to lobbying disclosure records. Munley sits on the organization’s board of governors and its executive committee, according to the association’s website. In 2018, the AAJ praised Munley in a press release, calling her a ‘titan of trucking litigation’ who has helped ‘shape new laws.’ The organization applauded Cartwright’s bill in July, arguing that the existing required insurance minimums are outdated and don’t fairly compensate victims of truck accidents.”

As this scandal continues to widen, Rep. Cartwright has remained silent and refuses to explain to his district why he’s using his position to personally enrich himself and his family members.