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Under Investigation
 
CREW has compiled a list of Congress members likely under investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the House Ethics Committee, the Senate Select Committee on Ethics (Senate ethics committee), the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE), and in some cases, the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Due to the secrecy surrounding these investigative bodies, the list is compiled from press reports. On October 30, 2009,
The Washington Post 
 revealed a leaked House Ethics Committee memo documenting the investigative activities surrounding House members by the House Ethics Committee and/or the OCE. The OCE was created in 2008 to review allegations of misconduct against members of the House and refers matters to the House Ethics Committee for further action. As a result, it is not always clear which body is investigating the member.
 
Representative Vern Buchanan (R-FL)
Under Investigation by:
 The DOJ, the House Ethics Committee, the FBI, the IRS, the OCE, and the FEC.
1
 
Under Investigation for:
 Rep. Buchanan is under scrutiny for allegedly directing his former
 business partner to reimburse employees who contributed to Rep. Buchanan’s congressional
campaigns.
2
 According to the former business partner, Sam Kazran, and several other former employ
ees of Rep. Buchanan’s car dealerships, partners and employees who made contributions to Rep. Buchanan’s congressional campaigns were reimbursed with corporate funds.
3
 Mr. Kazran claimed Rep. Buchanan personally instructed him to engage in the reimbursement scheme.
4
 Mr. Kazran also claimed that Rep. Buchanan pressured him to sign a false affidavit and file it with the FEC in return for setting a lawsuit.
5
 In addition, the House Ethics Committee is investigating Rep. Buchanan for failing to disclose 17 positions he held at Florida organizations, as well as unearned income he reported on his federal tax returns but left off his  personal financial disclosure forms.
6
 
1
 Bradenton Heral
, October 18, 2011; Joshua Miller, FEC Closes File on Buchanan Campaign, 
 Roll Call 
, June 13, 2011; Virginia Chamlee, Office of Congressional Ethics Investigating Buchanan, 
 Florida Independent 
, October 25, 2011; Press Release, House Committee on Ethics, 112
th
 New York Times
, February 23, 2012.
2
 Politico
, October 18, 2011.
3
 Federal Election Commission, Confidential Investigative Deposition of Sam Kazran, November 6, 2009; Matthew Murray, Buchanan Faces Another Lawsuit, 
 Roll Call 
, June 2, 2008.
4
 
 Id.
5
 Office of Congressional Ethics, 112
th
 Congress, Report and Findings Related to Rep. Vern Buchanan, Review No. 11-7565, January 27, 2012.
6
 Press Release, House Committee on Ethics, 112
th
th
 Congress, Report and Findings Related to Rep. Vern Buchanan, Review No. 11-9366, October 28, 2011.
 
Status:
 On April 16, 2010, the FEC notified Rep. Buchanan that the commission had reason to  believe he violated campaign finance law.
7
 On February 1, 2011, however, the commission
determined “to take no further action and close the file” on Rep. Buchanan.
8
 On October 18, 2011, the
 Bradenton Herald 
 reported that the DOJ had opened an investigation into Rep. Buchanan.
9
 On February 23, 2012, the
 New York Times
 reported the FBI and IRS are investigating Rep. Buchanan.
10
 
On September 11, 2012, Rep. Buchanan’s attorney said the DOJ
had dropped its investigation into Rep. Buchanan.
11
 The OCE referred two separate investigations into Rep. Buchanan to the House Ethics Committee.
12
 The House Ethics
Committee is continuing to investigate Mr. Kazran’s claim about the false affidavit, but the
committee announced on June 29, 2012, it had closed its investigat
ion into Rep. Buchanan’s
inaccurate personal financial disclosure statements.
13
 
Representative Chaka Fattah (D-PA)
Under Investigation by:
 The FBI.
14
 
Under Investigation for:
 According to a subpoena obtained by Fox 29, the FBI is seeking Rep.
Fattah’s
 property tax records from the city of Philadelphia.
15
 Rep. Fattah and his lawyer said federal law enforcement has been looking into Rep. Fattah since 2007.
16
 Asked about the
subpoena, Rep. Fattah told Fox 29, “I’m a, the senior congressman and any activiti
es that
I’m
involved in are appropriate
for review, and I assume that any review would be appropriate.”
17
 
Status:
The status of the FBI investigation is unknown.
18
 On August 27, 2014, Gregory Naylor, a longtime aide to Rep. Fattah, pleaded guilty to concealing the misuse of campaign funds and federal grant money.
19
 Mr. Naylor admitted that he conspired with his employer, referred to as
“Elected Official A” in court filings, to pay off debts with political contributions and grant
money routed through nonprofits and for-profits.
20
 
Prosecutors would not confirm that “
Elected
Official A” is Rep. Fattah, but the description of Mr. Naylor’s work history with the official
corresponds with his employment by Rep. Fattah.
21
 Mr. Naylor also admitted that he conspired
with “Elected Official A” to use campaign money to pay colle
ge debt owed by the officials
7
 
, 
 Politifact 
, June 13, 2011.
8
 
 Id.
9
 Masferrer,
 Bradenton Heral
, Oct. 18, 2011.
10
 Lichtblau,
 New York Times
, Feb. 23, 2012
11
 Herald-Tribune
, September 11, 2012.
12
 Press Release, House Committee on Ethics, Feb. 6, 2012; Press Release, House Committee on Ethics, 112
th
13
 Press Release, House Committee on Ethics, March 23, 2012; Press Release, House Committee on Ethics, 112
th
14
 My Fox Philly
, October 10, 2013.
15
 
 Id.
16
 
 Id.
17
 
 Id.
18
 Cole,
 My Fox Philly,
 October 10, 2013.
19
 Jeremy Roebuck, Mark Fazlollah, and Craig R. McCoy, 
 Philadelphia Inquirer 
, August 27, 2014.
20
 
 Id 
.
21
 
 Id 
.

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