The newly sworn-in secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development may have violated an ethics law by endorsing Democratic candidates in a Senate race. Housing Secretary Marcia Fudge, a former U.S. representative, in her first press conference in office, told reporters on March 18 that she had two friends who were considering running for the Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio). “Tim Ryan, of course, is thinking about it. I understand that Nan Whaley is thinking about it. I mean, I think we’re going to put a good person in that race no matter who we choose, but they’re both friends. I think we have a good shot at it. I know people have written off Ohio. I haven’t written off Ohio. I believe we can win the Senate race,” she said. Ryan is a U.S. representative, and Whaley is the mayor of Dayton, Ohio. Both …