Kevin Bohn
CNN Senior Producer
Republican Christine O'Donnell, who lost her bid for U.S. Senate from Delaware, is lashing out at reports the Justice Department and FBI have launched a criminal investigation into possible misuse of campaign funds for personal expenses, calling any such probe "thug tactics."
Justice Department prosecutors and FBI agents have started the investigation, a source with knowledge of the probe confirmed to CNN. The source could not speak on the record because of the investigation is deemed sensitive. The source would not provide any further details and the FBI and Justice Department had no comment.
When O'Donnell ran in the Republican primary and in the general election campaign, she faced repeated questions about her finances, including the use of her home that doubled for a time as her campaign headquarters. She acknowledged using some campaign funds to help pay the rent but is adamant she did not nothing wrong.
The advocacy group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed complaints with the Federal Elections Commission and the U.S. Attorney's Office in Delaware regarding her finances, asking for investigations of her alleged use of campaign funds for personal expenses.
"We've been warned by multiple high-ranking Democrat insiders that the Delaware Democrat and Republican political establishment is jointly planning to pull out all the stops to ensure I would never again upset the apple cart," O'Donnell said Wednesday in a statement after the Associated Press first reported the FBI and Justice Department were in the early phases of an investigation
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Filed under: 360° Radar • Raw Politics |
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I am so looking forward to seeing Christine O'Donnell being convicted for stealing campaign funds and lying about it. What would be even better is if she had to serve jail time too! That would give her a lot of time to write her fantasy books on her campaigns.
It's nice to finally see our government recognizing unethical spending. Though this woman offers less to society than balloon boy, seeing her be punished would send a nice message to campaigns across the country.
Clearly Christine O'Donnell's integrity is the main issue.
Our country does not need a politician that behaves as though he/she is above the law, and thinks that he/she may explain away obvious violations of campaign law.
Investigation must be pursued to seek the truth and establish accountability. If the allegations are true, Christine O'Donnell is just another example of a corrupt Indidual and must be held accountable.
Right about now, Ms. O'Donnell probably wishes she were a witch so she could make this headache disappear.
I honestly do not think it matters what if she uses the money to the way she wants, i just don't like it when those democritics think they have to be in everybodys bussiness 24/7.
Liar, liar, pants on fire!
Maybe she can wave her magic wand and make this go away before she clicks her heals and returns to OZ.
She needs to go to prison. She is a criminal and corrupt.
Excellent comeback and straight up ! Broom's fired up ,ready to go and look out Joe ! Laugh !
She had an attorney on this and answered these campaign finance questions didn't she ?
Re Christine O'Donnell, how is it that a person with very little depth and thought gets so much news attention?