U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls’ campaign lost $150,000 in wire fraud theft

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U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls’ campaign account had greater than $150,000 stolen from it final 12 months by an “unauthorized wire transfer,” in response to new reporting.

The scenario has caught the eye of the Federal Election Commission, which is asking for “further clarifying information” from the Richmond Republican’s campaign. The campaign first disclosed the “unauthorized payment,” dated July 7, in an FEC report protecting the third quarter of 2022. The campaign was in a position to get again many of the funds later in that interval, in response to the identical report.

“There was an unauthorized wire transfer initiated through fraudulent means on our campaign account,” Nehls spokesperson Taylor Hulsey stated in an e mail Monday. “We are unable to comment further as all information has been submitted to the FBI for criminal investigation.”

RawStory first outlined the sequence of occasions in an article published Monday.

Nehls is in his second time period representing the twenty second Congressional District in suburban Houston, which was a nationwide battleground in 2020 however has since been redrawn to be Republican-friendly. A former Fort Bend County sheriff, Nehls is an enthusiastic backer of ex-President Donald Trump — one of many few Republicans in the Texas delegation to already endorse Trump’s 2024 comeback bid.

The July 7 cost totaled $157,626, and it went to an entity known as “Misty J Productions.” The entity is nearly unknown — FEC information point out no other campaign has finished enterprise with it. Nehls’ campaign didn’t say in its assertion how the entity obtained the cash or whether or not anybody on the campaign workers was conscious of the switch when it occurred.

Nehls’ campaign recouped $137,626 from Misty J Productions by two receipts it reported from the entity later in the third quarter, one on July 20 and the opposite on Sept. 30. Both receipts had been described as “UNAUTHORIZED TRANSACTION FUNDS RETURNED.”

On Jan. 25 of this 12 months, the FEC wrote to Nehls’ campaign in search of extra information about each the “unauthorized payment” and the returned cash.

“Although the Commission may take further legal action regarding this apparent improper use of Committee funds, any further clarifying information that you can provide will be taken into consideration,” learn the letter from Ryan Furman, senior campaign finance and reviewing analyst.

Nehls is way from the one congressperson to expertise such theft of campaign funds currently. In one of many greater examples, U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, has alleged that cybercriminals stole practically $700,000 from his campaign final 12 months. The FBI is investigating.

For a politician like Nehls, over $150,000 is a serious quantity of campaign funds to lose. On the identical third-quarter report in which Nehls disclosed the “unauthorized payment,” he raised about $260,000 whole, excluding the recouped cash from Misty J Productions.