House ethics panel probes Rep. Shelley Berkley, Senate candidate in Nevada The House Ethics Committee said Friday it has launched a preliminary investigation into allegations against Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.), a seven-term Las Vegas congresswoman and candidate in Nevada's closely-watched Senate race. Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.). (Marlene Karas - FOR THE WASHINGTON POST) The panel didn't specify in its formal announcement what allegations it plans to review, but added that the Office of Congressional Ethics referred the case on Feb. 9. As is customary, the committee noted that the decision to continue its probe does not itself indicate that Berkley violated any laws or congressional ethics rules. Berkley, 61, is running for Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) seat in November's Senate contest, a race that many observers believe could be a pickup for Democrats. Heller succeeded former Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.), who resigned last year amid his own ethics investigation. The ethics panel's decision follows a September report by the New York Times on a series of moves by Berkley in the last five years to sponsor legislation or influence federal regulators in ways "aligned with the business interests" of her husband, Dr. Larry Lehrner, who operates a dozen dialysis centers in Nevada and has actively lobbied lawmakers to help kidney care providers. In a statement, Berkley campaign manager Jessica Mackler said Friday that the lawmaker's "only concern is for the well being of Nevada's patients. That's why she fought against out-of-state Washington bureaucrats from restricting patients" access to care and why she joined fellow Reps. Jon Porter and Dean Heller to stop Nevada's only kidney transplant program from being shut down, which would have denied life saving treatment to hundreds of Nevadans." The ethics panel also said Friday that it is continuing an investigation into allegations that Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) filed incomplete financial disclosure statements. The Justice Department and a federal grand jury in Tampa are also investigating the lawmaker's fundraising practices. Democrats have targeted Buchanan's seat this year in light of the ongoing investigations. President Obama: "If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon" NFL bounty program earns Senate scrutiny Senate passes long-awaited STOCK Act