Aug 17, 2011
It’s been a rough summer for Vern Buchanan
After a spate of negative headlines about his scheme to pressure employees to donate to his re-election campaigns and using campaign donations to pad his bank account, it is not surprising that Congressman Vern Buchanan (FL-13) has been in hiding. While some of his colleagues have been crisscrossing their districts listening to the concerns of their constituents, Buchanan has been eerily quiet during the August recess, failing to hold a single event with his constituents.
Instead, Vern Buchanan has kept himself busy holding a fundraiser in Aspen and asking people to “like” him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.
“While his constituents are been getting hammered by a brutal job market and a rising number of foreclosures, Vern Buchanan has been mingling with campaign donors in Aspen,” said Adam Hodge of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “Whenever he does come out of hiding, Floridians have some serious questions for Buchanan about his shady history of secret illegal contributions, playing games with the debt ceiling, and voting to end Medicare.”
Background
Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Donations used to repay Buchanan loans, companies, family members. “In less than a year, U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan has spent almost $1 million from campaign donors to pay himself, companies he owns or family members. Campaign finance records show the Longboat Key Republican has used most of the money to repay campaign checks he wrote to himself in 2006. But he also has rented campaign office space from his own company, paid family members on his payroll and reimbursed his company for wining and dining the political elite on his 110-foot luxury yacht, The Entrepreneur.” [Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 8/13/11]
Florida Independent: More former Buchanan employees speak out about pressure to donate, reimbursement scheme. “Two former employees of a car dealership once owned by Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota, allege that he pressured co-workers into donating to his campaign and then offered reimbursements with dealership funds.” [Florida Independent, 8/5/11]
Sarasota Herald Tribune: Ex-business partner claims Buchanan ordered plan to violate election laws. “A former business partner has accused U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan in new court documents of ordering a plan to violate federal election laws and threatening ‘consequences’ if the scheme became public. In the documents, filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Jacksonville, Buchanan’s former business partner Sam Kazran stated for the first time that he has evidence — voicemails, emails, canceled bank checks and a list of witnesses — to support his claims that Buchanan masterminded a plan to funnel money from his workers into his campaign, with his dealership reimbursing them.” [Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 7/20/11]
Washington Post: Buchanan dogged by allegations in FEC contributions case. “Rep. Vern Buchanan (Fla.), a rising third-term House member who helps lead fundraising efforts for congressional Republicans, is facing new public scrutiny over his past ownership of a car dealership accused of making illegal donations to his campaign. The Federal Election Commission has filed court documents in Orlando seeking a $67,900 penalty from the now-defunct dealership, Hyundai of North Jacksonville, which Buchanan partly owned until 2008.” [Washington Post, 6/8/11]
Florida Independent: FEC: Buchanan’s former dealership violated the law in an ‘extensive and ongoing scheme.’ “A federal court is imposing a $67,900 fine on a car dealership once owned by Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota, for what the Federal Election Commission calls an ‘extensive and ongoing scheme’ to funnel ‘secret, illegal contributions’ to Buchanan’s 2006 and 2008 campaigns.” [Florida Independent, 6/1/11]
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