The Passing of Rep. Jackie Walorski, Ranking Member, House Committee on Ethics

September 2022

On August 3, 2022, Representative Jackie Walorski (R-IN) died in a two-vehicle accident in her home district in northern Indiana. Also killed in the accident were two members of Rep. Walorski’s staff – Zachery Potts and Emma Thomson – and the second vehicle driver, Edith Schmucker.

Rep. Walorski was a member of the Committee on Ethics of the U.S. House of Representatives since 2019. In January 2021, Rep. Walorski was named  the Ranking Member of the Committee on Ethics; she served in that leadership role until her death.

On August 4, 2022, the Committee on Ethics issued this “Statement on the Passing of Ranking Member Jackie Walorski”:

The Committee on Ethics mourns the tragic loss of its Ranking Member, Representative Jackie Walorski. Representative Walorski first served as a Member of an investigative subcommittee in the 115th Congress, then became a Member of the full Committee in the 116th Congress, and served as the Committee’s Ranking Member in the 117th Congress.

Ranking Member Walorski demonstrated a commitment to upholding the integrity of the House throughout her service. The Committee is charged with overseeing the House’s Code of Official Conduct, which provides first and foremost that Members shall act at all times in a manner that reflects creditably upon the House. Ranking Member Walorski embodied that standard through her consistent compassion, fairness, and dedication to public service and the institution. She will be deeply missed. 

The Committee Members and staff extend our heartfelt condolences to the Ranking Member’s family and staff, as well as to the families of her dedicated staff, Emma Thomson and Zach Potts, who also passed away.