The House Committee on Ethics said Monday it has extended its review of a matter involving Rep. Lance Gooden, R-Texas, after receiving a referral from the Office of Congressional Conduct, making him the seventh current or former lawmaker to face ethics scrutiny this year.

The bipartisan committee received the referral June 10 but did not disclose the nature of the allegations or identify which House rules or federal laws may be at issue, according to its official announcement.

Gooden later said the matter concerned spending allegations and denied wrongdoing.

"These are bogus spending allegations perpetrated by dishonest unelected OCC bureaucrats, and as the fifth Texas GOP ally of the president to endure one of these attacks, I am confident the House Ethics Committee will confirm their baseless nature," Gooden said in a statement.

The committee's decision extends a preliminary review and does not mean it has established an investigative subcommittee or determined that Gooden committed misconduct.

"The Committee will announce its course of action in this matter on or before November 9," the panel said.

Under House rules, the committee could dismiss the matter, continue reviewing the allegations, or create an investigative subcommittee with authority to conduct a formal inquiry, interview witnesses, and request documents.

The committee said that receiving a referral and extending a review do not indicate that a violation occurred or reflect any judgment about the allegations.

The Office of Congressional Conduct is an independent, nonpartisan body that reviews allegations against House members, officers, and employees before deciding whether there is substantial reason to believe a violation occurred and whether the matter should be referred to the Ethics Committee.

The office cannot discipline lawmakers, while the Ethics Committee can recommend sanctions ranging from a reprimand or fine to censure or expulsion, although expulsion requires approval from two-thirds of the House.

Gooden, 43, was first elected to Congress in 2018 and represents Texas' 5th Congressional District, which stretches from Dallas County through Henderson, Kaufman, Van Zandt, Wood, and Upshur counties, according to his official biography.

He serves on the House Judiciary and Armed Services committees and previously served three terms in the Texas House of Representatives.

Republican Reps. Chuck Edwards of North Carolina, Cory Mills of Florida, and Nancy Mace of South Carolina; Democrat Reps. Eric Swalwell of California and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida; and former Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, are the other current and former lawmakers whose conduct has drawn committee scrutiny in 2026.

Those cases involve separate allegations and remain at different stages of the committee's process, with some undergoing preliminary reviews and others receiving more formal scrutiny.

The committee generally limits public statements while matters are pending, citing its rules protecting witnesses, confidential evidence, and the due process rights of lawmakers.

Chairman Michael Guest, R-Miss., and ranking member Mark DeSaulnier, D-Calif., lead the evenly divided committee, which has five Republican and five Democrat members.