Today’s notice: Scrutiny of a representative’s management choices. Scrutiny of a senator’s CODEL choices. Talking to a candidate banned by Kalshi for insider trading. New polling on 2026. A first look at the latest centrist volley in the “abolish ICE” debate. The World Cup and the DHS shutdown. Plus: What Lauren Boebert owes the Congressional Credit Union.

THE LATEST

Exclusive: An unreported investigation of a veteran House Democrat. House Ethics Committee investigators spent months in 2023 interviewing then-current and former staffers of North Carolina Rep. Alma Adams about accusations she was engaged in an “inappropriate” relationship with staffer Sandra Brown in violation of House rules. Brown is now Adams’ deputy chief of staff, working out of her district office in the Charlotte area.

NOTUS’ Kadia Goba has a ton of details on the investigation into the now 79-year-old Adams. The committee declined to comment.

• The exact nature of Adams’ relationship with Brown is unclear, but a high-ranking staffer filed a complaint with the committee after they were told the congresswoman was in a relationship with an aide. Multiple former aides testified that Brown appeared to spend long stretches at Adams’ one-bedroom apartment in D.C.
  

• “I got asked a very direct question about whether or not they were having an inappropriate relationship,” said one person who spoke with the committee, referring to Adams and Brown.
  

• Former staff alleged that Brown’s extremely close relationship with Adams resulted in a hostile work environment in an office known for very high staff turnover. “Your standing with Sandra impacted your standing with Alma,” one former aide told NOTUS.

Truth is stranger than fiction? Kadia reports that Ethics investigators asked people in Adams’ orbit about “BossLady: The Legend of Sydney Donovan Begins,” a novel written and self-published by Brown that tells the story of a woman who clashes with her lover’s husband. Brown told at least one aide that the story was loosely based on her life.

Adams’ response: “The Committee closed the matter after finding no violation of any House Rules and, most importantly, no inappropriate or improper relationship,” a spokesperson said. “Ultimately, the Committee advised that Congresswoman Adams should work to ensure that no staff received preferential treatment, actual or perceived, and that all staff were aware they could raise any concerns without fear of retaliation.”

Open tabs: Navy Secretary Becomes Latest High-Profile Departure From Trump Admin (NOTUS); F.B.I. Said to Have Investigated Times Reporter After Article on Patel’s Girlfriend (NYT); HHS rejects publication of study showing Covid-19 vaccines prevent hospitalizations, ER visits (CNN); Former congressman Devin Nunes departs as CEO of Trump media company (WaPo)

From Colombia

Scoop: Ruben Gallego’s CODEL antics raise eyebrows. Multiple sources tell NOTUS’ Reese Gorman that the Arizona Democrat’s behavior on a government trip to Colombia last summer raised concerns among U.S. officials.

Embassy staff in Bogotá became aware of what they believed to be a credible threat on his life and dispatched security personnel to meet up with Gallego and pick him up from dinner. After a discussion, Gallego decided to stay out, eventually walking to a nearby nightclub where he stayed until the wee hours.

At the club, Gallego and his chief of staff texted multiple embassy staff entreaties to join them. At least one female embassy employee told her State Department colleagues about the outreach, Reese reports. It is unclear whether any staff took Gallego and his aide up on their offer and there are no allegations Gallego engaged in inappropriate behavior with any embassy staff member.

The next morning, Gallego did not show up for a scheduled bus set to take members of the traveling party to the airport for their return flight. The chief of staff had to get a copy of Gallego’s hotel key and get him from his room.

Gallego’s response: The senator “coordinated closely with embassy security throughout the trip, including on the evening in question, and followed all security guidance,” a spokesperson said. “While at dinner at the conclusion of a successful congressional delegation trip, the Senator and his Chief of Staff invited Embassy staff to join them, a common way to recognize the work of those who support these visits.”

From the prediction markets

Kalshi booted three political candidates off its gambling prediction market platform yesterday after catching them betting on their own races (which is against the rules). An independent, a Democrat and a Republican each were fined and suspended after being caught.

“Let me just throw in a Zyn, one sec,” the independent, Mark Moran, told NOTUS’ Manuela Silva hours after being put on blast for insider trading. He’s currently engaged in a long-shot bid to unseat Democratic Sen. Mark Warner. His bet was not an attempt to circumvent market rules, he said — it was a plan to get caught and garner attention that would both raise his profile and demonstrate the need for more regulation of the nascent prediction market industry.

“This is a great day for me,” the former “FBoy Island” star and investment banker said. “I mean, my girlfriend’s pissed and she’s yelling at me about it, but I’ve been waiting for this to happen.”

From the campaign trail

Democrats still have an immigration problem. A major battleground district poll released this morning by the Cook Political Report had excellent news for Democrats: They lead the generic ballot by a 6-point margin and enjoy a 14-point enthusiasm advantage over Republicans among voters who say they’re most eager to turn out. There was one persistent cloud around the silver lining, though: The poll found Democrats leading Republicans on every issue polled, with the exception of border security.

First on NOTUS: Third Way has an immigration solution. Or at least the group thinks it does, according to a forthcoming policy memo obtained by NOTUS’ Alex Roarty. The group calls for an “overhaul” of ICE — most definitely not “abolishing” it. The memo urges Democrats to promise to continue deporting some categories of immigrants, modeled on the approach Barack Obama took during the last few years of his administration.

Most notably, the memo calls for the establishment of an independent review board to investigate ICE and CBP. The goal is to right the wrongs of recent years and restore public trust in the agencies, all while trying to convince skeptical voters that Democrats actually care about immigration enforcement.

“There’s this lingering hangover from everything that happened in the Biden administration,” Sarah Pierce, memo author and Third Way social policy director, told Alex.

From the Hill

After a 6-hour vote-a-rama the Senate approved a resolution 50-48 that would fund immigration enforcement under DHS without approval from Democrats.

But it could face significant challenges in the House: Republicans in the two chambers publicly feuded over their last attempt at funding DHS.

FWIW: John Thune told reporters this morning that Mike Johnson hasn’t guaranteed the plan. “It doesn’t seem like this should be that heavy of a lift, but nothing is easy these days,” according to Politico.

Unintended consequences: Some lawmakers are warning that the ongoing DHS shutdown is hurting coordination and safety preparations for upcoming FIFA World Cup games across the country, NOTUS’ Torrence Banks reports.

“You’re talking about an international event in the area most targeted for terrorism,” said Rep. Mike Lawler, a Republican from New York, a state that is expected to play host to the event. “I think it is insane that we are in a situation where the department responsible for coordinating the security of this event has been shut down for over 110 days. At a time we’re at war, by the way.”

Exclusive: A bipartisan group of senators — including Dave McCormick, Tina Smith, Thom Tillis and Gallego — is sponsoring a measure to extend the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program, which offers a safety net to companies providing terrorism insurance, for seven years.

NEW ON NOTUS

Credit check: Rep. Lauren Boebert is up to $50,000 in debt to the Congressional Credit Union for a personal loan she incurred in January 2024, according to an amended personal financial disclosure the Colorado Republican filed this month with the House that was flagged by NOTUS’ Dave Levinthal. Boebert previously disclosed having no assets or debts whatsoever.

More: Trump Started a War With D.C. Cyclists. It’s Part of a Bigger Car-Centric Agenda. By Emily Kennard

Mark Kelly and Elissa Slotkin Raise Big Money Toward Their Legal Defense Against Trump, by Em Luetkemeyer

Federal Court Blocks California Law Requiring Immigration Agents to Show Identification, by Manuela Silva

NOT US

• White House meets with disgruntled allies as midterms loom, by Myah Ward, Alex Gangitano, Dasha Burns and Cheyenne Haslett for Politico
  
• No Peace Plan, No Problem: Why the Wartime Market Keeps Rising, by Hannah Erin Lang and David Uberti for The Wall Street Journal
  
• The Capitol Police Officer Swept Up in a Jan. 6 Conspiracy Theory, by Corina Knoll for The New York Times

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Correction: Yesterday’s newsletter inaccurately stated the end of Sen. John Barrasso’s term. He is up for reelection in 2030.