Auringer Files for D.C. Public Schools to Conduct Residency Investigation of Ryan

KINGSTON, NY - September 30, 2026 - Congressional candidate Jackie Auringer today filed a request for D.C. education officials to investigate whether Congressman Pat Ryan or another member of his household claimed D.C. residency in connection with tuition-free public school enrollment.

Auringer sent a letter to the D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), which is responsible for investigating questions of nonresidency in D.C. public schools. Reviews are mandatory following a report of potential fraud.

The request follows evidence that at least one of Ryan's children attended a D.C. public school in 2024. Auringer is asking OSSE to review its records for the period from 2023 through 2026 and determine whether the adult responsible for the enrollment complied with D.C.'s residency requirements or, if applicable, its nonresident tuition requirements.

The residency question also comes as Ryan has collected more than $60,000 in taxpayer-funded lodging reimbursements for his time in Washington since 2023, according to House records reported by the Times Union.

“Pat Ryan has collected more than $60,000 from taxpayers for lodging in Washington while receiving a $12,400 veterans property-tax exemption on his claimed primary residence in New York,” Auringer said. “At the same time, we now know his family has been using D.C. schools. The question for D.C. officials is simple: who claimed D.C. residency, and were those representations accurate?”

Under D.C. rules, only one parent with custody needs to be a D.C. resident for a student to attend as a resident. Nonresident students who are permitted to attend are generally required to have a tuition agreement and pay nonresident tuition.

D.C. law also establishes penalties when a person knowingly provides false information to a public official in connection with student residency verification. Those penalties include retroactive tuition and either a fine of up to $2,000 or imprisonment for up to 90 days. Cases involving knowingly false residency information may also be referred to the D.C. Office of the Attorney General.

“This is simple: Is Pat Ryan paying his share of school taxes anywhere?” asked Auringer.

Auringer's letter asks OSSE to review the residency under which the students were enrolled during the 2023–2026 period and determine whether D.C.'s residency and, if applicable, nonresident tuition requirements were satisfied.

Auringer copied the Office of Congressional Conduct and the House Committee on Ethics on the request.

“The records exist,” Auringer said. “OSSE should review them, determine what representations were made about residency and whether they were accurate, and take whatever action the facts warrant.”