Texas congresswoman repays Black Caucus Foundation $31,000 for scholarships wrongly awarded

Congresswoman repays foundation for scholarships

WASHINGTON — A Texas congresswoman who broke scholarship rules by awarding money to her relatives and an aide’s children has repaid about $31,000 to the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation.

Democratic Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson said in a statement Wednesday that she has repaid the funds in full.

The Dallas Morning News reported earlier this week that the Dallas-area Democrat had violated foundation rules against nepotism and making awards to students living or attending schools outside her district.

The newspaper said Johnson had given about a third of her scholarships since 2005 to two grandsons and two great-nephews and to the son and daughter of her top aide in Dallas.

Johnson has said she unknowingly broke the rules.