LOS ANGELES — Silicon Valley Democratic congressional candidate Ro Khanna told Breitbart News on Wednesday morning that tech investor Karl Mehta will reveal that he was solicited for campaign donations from Mike Honda’s reelection campaign team at an official State Department event. Khanna spoke with Breitbart News ahead of a press conference scheduled for noon to discuss the new ethics claim against incumbent Rep. Honda (D-CA) in detail.
“It’s very disturbing,” Khanna said, regarding “allegations that Honda’s office has broken House rules and engaged in pay-to-play politics” by approaching Karl Mehta for campaign donations during an official government event. “It seems like this is a pattern in [Honda’s] office.”
Khanna told Breitbart News that “somehow [Mehta’s] info got to the campaign and they solicited him. It’s forbidden by the rules.”
Khanna said Mehta voluntarily approached Khanna’s camp after growing media attention surrounding earlier reports of alleged ethics violations surrounding an email scandal involving Honda’s his chief of staff of 14 years. “He [Mehta] was really concerned that this was going on,” Khanna said of Mehta.
“This is exactly what is wrong with Congress,” Khanna said. “Why is this not being investigated? There should be a full investigation and nothing is happening.” Khanna pointed to former Republican Congressman Tom Campbell who served in Silicon Valley’s District 15 as an example of “one of the most ethical members of Congress,” drawing upon his “very high ethical standards. And that’s what has been our push forward.”
Honda took over Campbell’s post in 2001. In 2013, redistricting from the 2010 United States Census changed the area to the 17th congressional district, which Honda now represents.
Both camps released conflicting polls on Monday, with Khanna’s camp showing the two tied. Honda’s camp fired back, saying the incumbent enjoyed a 15-point lead. Khanna says that he has more Republican support than Honda and that he has been working to mobilize the Republican vote.