Texas Gov. Greg Abbott will have to decide when to hold a special or emergency election to fill Texas' 27th Congressional District seat vacated by Congressman Blake Farenthold, R-Corpus Christi. Tim Acosta/Caller-Times
Here's what we know so far on the controversies surrounding Blake Farenthold.
Amid allegations of sexual harassment and an $84,000 settlement paid with taxpayers' money, Congressman Blake Farenthold resigned his seat April 6. Here's what we know moving forward.
The ethics investigations
The twin investigations by the U.S. House Ethics Committee into the activities of former Rep. Blake Farenthold likely ended when the Corpus Christi Republican resigned his seat last week amid the fallout over his settlement of a sexual harassment lawsuit.
The committee in December opened an investigation into issues surrounding Farenthold's settlement of a sexual harassment complaint by former communications director Lauren Greene, who was paid $84,000 in taxpayers' money. Later that month, the panel expanded the inquiry into whether the four-term congressman "may have required members of his congressional staff to work on his congressional campaigns."
The committee also decided to examine whether Farenthold "may have made false statements or omissions in testimony to the Committee."
The committee's top lawyer and staff director, Tom Rust, told the USA Today Network the panel does not comment on any of its ongoing investigations. However, in its summary of the work performed during the session of Congress that ended after the 2016 election cycle, the panel noted that it no longer had jurisdiction over two members under investigation that were defeated by their voters back home and would no longer be serving in the House.
Similar announcements were made at the end of previous congressional sessions.
What about constituents who still need assistance?
Callers to Farenthold's former congressional office in Washington, D.C., are now greeted by a call-taker who identifies the office as "Texas Congressional District 27."
The office remains staffed by aides to the former congressman who can still handle routine matters involving basic constituent services, Communications Director Stacey Daniels said.
The staff will be meeting with the House Clerk's Office for guidance on who will be responsible for maintaining the congressional office until a new congressman is sworn in.
It remains uncertain when or whether Texas Gov. Greg Abbott will call a special election to fill the post before the 2018 general election in November.
Farenthold's campaign cash
Since he reversed course and announced in December that he would not seek a fifth term, Farenthold has refunded $44,000 in political donations, according to records on file with the Federal Election Commission.
Records show that he still has $125,269.06 in his campaign account.
More: How unspent campaign cash may be used
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An email to Farenthold's campaign treasurer, Corpus Christi accountant Ward McCampbell, on how the remaining funds will be disposed of has not yet been answered.
Campaign funds may not used to pay a former congressman's personal expenses. According to the FEC, unspent campaign money can be donated to charity or used to pay legal expenses "related to campaign or officeholder activity, where such expenses would not have occurred had the individual not been a candidate or officeholder."
Status of Farenthold's promise to repay taxpayers the $84,000
Soon after terms of the settlement was made public, Farenthold said he would repay the federal treasury. To date, he has not done so and has suggested House rules may preclude such a move.
However, the U.S. treasury does accept gifts from citizens.
Adav Noti, a former associated general counsel for the FEC and now a lawyer for the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center in Washington, said the law is not fully clear on whether Farenthold could use campaign funds to repay the government.
Noti pointed out that when former U.S. Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, used campaign funds to pay legal expenses related to his 2007 arrest on a public lewdness charge but was ordered by a judge to repay the treasury more than $240,000 because the charges were not related to his official duties.
In Farenthold's settlement, he did not admit to wrongdoing, but later acknowledged that his behavior contributed to a toxic work environment for members of his congressional staff.
Farenthold and his pension
Farenthold served just over seven years in congress and he is 56 years old. His annual salary for the past three years has been $174,000. According to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, a congressman who is under 62 and has served more than five years but fewer than 20 is entitled to a pension based on this scale: Officials determine what 1.7 percent of the average salary calculated over three years would be, and then multiply that by the number of years of service.
The personnel management office declined to respond to a request for the exact amount of Farenthold's pension.
That would not include any Social Security benefit or any "defined contribution retirement plan" available to members of Congress to which he may be entitled.
John C. Moritz covers Texas government and politics for the USA Today Network in Austin. Contact him at John.Moritz@caller.com and follow him on Twitter @JohnnieMo.