The House Ethics Committee on Tuesday officially cleared Rep. Maxine Waters of all ethics charges after nearly three years of investigating the California Democrat. Rep. Waters, who represents California’s 35th congressional district, was the subject of an investigation by the Ethics Committee because she advocated on behalf of OneUnited Bank, a black owned financial institution whose board of directors included Rep. Waters’ husband. The bank ultimately received $12 million in federal bailout funds dating back to 2008. "It appears that Rep. Waters recognized and made efforts to avoid a conflict of interest with respect to One United," the committee said on Tuesday. However, Waters’ Chief of Staff and grandson, Mikael Moore, was issued a letter of reproval for three ethics violations for taking an active role in helping OneUnited officials request Treasury funds. The Committee concluded Moore knew or should have known, his actions would benefit Waters’s husband, who owned $350,000 in OneUnited stock.