Seven GOP Lawmakers Consider Returning Indicted Donor's Funds

[babylonsister]

Indicted donor poses quandary for GOP lawmakers who accepted funds
By Alexander Bolton
August 15, 2007


Seven vulnerable House Republicans face difficult decisions about whether to return contributions from a major Republican donor who was charged last week on 23 counts of bankruptcy fraud, mail fraud, money laundering, obstruction of justice and perjury.

The donor, Alan Fabian, is the CEO of the Centre for Management and Technology, a Baltimore-based company. Until last week, he was also a co-chairman of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s national finance committee.

A federal grand jury has indicted Fabian for allegedly making $32 million in false purchases of computer equipment to pay for his lavish spending habits. Prosecutors are seeking $32 million worth of Fabian’s assets, including beach real estate in North Carolina, property in Maryland and a yacht.

Fabian has since resigned his position with the Romney campaign.

Romney and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, both GOP presidential candidates, have decided to refund contributions Fabian made to them this year. Fabian gave $2,300 to Romney in February and $1,000 to Giuliani in June.
Giuliani’s campaign wasted little time in distancing itself from Fabian.

“We are returning the contribution Romney’s national finance co-chair gave Rudy Giuliani,” said spokeswoman Maria Comella on Tuesday.

This may put pressure on seven vulnerable House Republicans to do the same. Otherwise, they will likely face Democratic criticism in the run-up to the 2008 election.

Reps. Steve Chabot (Ohio), Jim Gerlach (Pa.), Michele Bachmann (Minn.), Jon Porter (Nev.), Heather Wilson (N.M.), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (Wash.), and Dave Reichert (Wash.) have each accepted $1,000 or more from Fabian in the last three years, according to records on file at the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

more...

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/indicted-donor-poses-quandary-for-goplawmakers-who-accepted-funds-2007-08-15.html

[BrotherBuzz]

1. Damn, neither John Doolittle nor Dan Lungren are on the list

wishful hoping :shrug: