"Representative Weldon, through counsel, has stated his intent to make the repayment, and to notify us when the repayment has been made," the statement said."We intend to monitor his efforts to repay the expenses and to make further public statements if necessary or appropriate."

Weldon was defeated in the November election weeks after the FBI raided the homes and business office of the congressman’s daughter and political associate as part of a federal investigation into whether he helped them obtain about $1 million in lobbying and consulting contracts.

The ethics committee did not state Wednesday where Weldon had gone, how many family members joined him, or who paid for the trip.

But Weldon’s attorney, William Canfield, said the congressman took his wife and children to Moscow in January 2003 for a Kremlin ceremony in which he was inducted as a fellow into the Russian Academy of Sciences.

"He wanted his family to go with him and see this momentous event, so he took them," said Canfield, who estimated that six to eight people went on the trip. He said either the Russian government or members of the academy of sciences paid for the trip.

"It wasn’t like some boondoggle," Canfield said, adding that Weldon, who holds a degree in Russian studies and speaks the language fluently, may be the only American to become a member of the academy.

While in Russia, Canfield said Weldon also visited "defense facilities" and stopped in Vienna and Belgrade before returning home. He said Saratov Aviation Plant, a firm that manufactures unmanned aerial vehicles, "could be" among the companies he visited.

Saratov is one of at least three foreign entities tied in with the Justice Department’s influence-peddling probe.

On Jan. 10, 2003, Saratov hired Solutions North America - a firm co-owned by Weldon’s daughter Karen and former campaign adviser Charles Sexton Jr. - for $20,000 a month to promote their unmanned aerial vehicles. He reportedly visited Saratov in Russia later that month with his daughter.

Weldon has denied using his position to direct business to Solutions. The congressman’s office was subpoenaed by a federal grand jury prior to the Nov. 7 election, according to a former aide. The investigation has involved wiretaps of Washington-area cell phone numbers.

According to Wednesday’s statement from the ethics committee, Weldon had contacted the committee prior to the trip to ask whether the trip complied with House gift rule provisions permitting congressmen to accept travel and other benefits related to unofficial activities. The committee told Weldon’s staff that the provision did not clear him to take the trip on another’s dime.

"Representative Weldon then sought a gift rule waiver from the committee, but withdrew his request prior to receiving a formal written response from the committee," the statement said.

Canfield said the House Armed Services Committee, on which Weldon served as vice chairman, had previously agreed that the U.S. government would pick up the tab. But as a "fiscal conservative," Weldon had his staff contact the ethics committee in search of a rule under which the hosts could cover the travel and lodging costs for he and his family.

"They gave us a little bit of this, a little bit of that, none of which made a whole lot of sense to him," Canfield said.

The committee ultimately concluded that the trip was "officially-connected."

"As a result, the payment by the trip sponsors for the attendance on the trip of several family members of Representative Weldon was prohibited by the gift rule, which at the time permitted such payment for only the member’s spouse or child," the statement said.

A committee aide declined to elaborate Wednesday.

Canfield said the trip apparently fell into a category between official and unofficial, leaving Weldon on the hook for an estimated $23,000. He said Weldon must first determine the total cost of the trip and who paid for it before the money could be refunded.

The committee informed Weldon of its ruling in late September, according to Canfield. "I have no idea why the ethics committee decided to put out a release" Wednesday, he said. "It’s beyond me. It must have been a slow news day."

In addition to Saratov, the FBI is investigating whether Weldon helped Solutions land contracts with Russia-based Itera International Energy Corp. and the Serbian Karic Foundation. Weldon or his aides have reportedly taken actions to assist all three with their goals in the U.S.

The congressman has declined to be interviewed since losing his bid for an 11th term.

The ethics committee also announced Wednesday that U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney, R-Fla., has agreed to cover the costs of a 2003 trip to Scotland. The trip was apparently paid for by disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.