Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Three more political committees run by House Republicans have accused a former treasurer of diverting campaign funds.

Late last month, the Tuesday Group PAC, run by moderate Republicans, filed a Federal Election Commission report contending that Christopher J. Ward "misappropriated" $15,000. In recent similar filings, the political action committee of Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Tex.) has accused Ward of the "unauthorized expenditure" of $4,000, and the PAC of Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.) said Ward "misappropriated" $2,000 late last year.

In February, after his dismissal from the National Republican Congressional Committee Ward returned $4,200 to Hensarling's PAC and $3,500 to Dent's committee, FEC records show.

The NRCC has accused Ward of diverting at least "several hundred thousand dollars" from committee coffers into his personal accounts. The FBI is investigating.

-- Paul Kane