While she continues to call for President Obama to be impeached, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) is being investigated by the FBI for campaign finance violations.
According to the MinnPost, the FBI has joined the growing list of agencies that are investigating campaign violations associated with Bachmann’s 2012 presidential campaign, “Andy Parrish, former Bachmann chief of staff and one of the directors of Bachmann’s Iowa GOP presidential campaign, will be interviewed by the FBI, according to his attorney, John Gilmore. ‘I can confirm that Andy Parrish has been contacted by the FBI for a scheduled interview next week,” Gilmore said. ‘He will cooperate fully.'”
So far, the Office of Congressional Ethics, the FEC, and the Iowa state senate ethics committee, and a special prosecutor are investigating a series of potential violations that include possible improper payments to an Iowa state senator, using campaign resources to promote her book, the theft of an email list of Iowa homeschoolers, and money laundering.
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The entry of the FBI signals that the investigation has expanded into a potential criminal probe of Bachmann’s 2012 presidential campaign. It is important to note that being investigated for a crime is not the same thing as being charged or convicted of a crime, but with Bachmann herself being the focus of other investigations the FBI will likely be taking a look at her role in the campaign’s decision making process.
A new PPP poll released today found Jim Graves leading Bachmann 47%-45% in a potential rematch of their close 2012 matchup. Bachmann barely beat Graves by less than 5,000 votes last year, and that was before she became the focus of up to six probes and investigations.
Bachmann is trying to change the conversation by claiming that the IRS will be personally handling conservatives’ medical records. (Not true.) However, at some point all of these investigations are going to start piling up.
The media has jumped on the Republican conspiracy theory fueled Obama scandal bandwagon, but they are ignoring the very real Bachmann scandal.
The question is no longer about whether or not Bachman can win reelection. Her bigger problem is the FBI investigation.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
