G.O.P. Fund-Raiser Faces Inquiries Into His Races
WASHINGTON — Last year, House Republican leaders tapped an up-and-coming Florida lawmaker, Representative Vern Buchanan, to lead the party’s fund-raising for candidates nationwide, a crucial part of their efforts to keep control of the House in November.
The drive has already paid dividends in surging donations. Now, however, Mr. Buchanan’s golden touch in raising money could prove as much a hindrance as an asset, as a thicket of questions surrounding his own Florida campaigns is threatening to distract from the Republicans’ national finance operation.
Federal inquiries surrounding Mr. Buchanan appear to be widening, as investigators examine allegations that his companies improperly reimbursed contributors to his campaigns and claimed improper tax deductions and that he failed to include all his varied financial interests in his Congressional disclosure reports.
The Federal Election Commission has already completed one investigation that produced a settlement this week with a former partner of Mr. Buchanan’s who used their car dealership to reimburse employees for contributing to the congressman’s campaigns, in violation of federal law.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/24/us/politics/gop-fund-raiser-faces-inquiries-into-his-races.html?pagewanted=print
