In a report from the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Michele Bachmann’s former chief of staff will testify in front of an Iowa Senate ethics panel that the congresswoman made improper payments to the state chairman of her presidential campaign — all this coming to light one day after fresh ethics challenges stemming from her book tour surfaced.
According to Kevin Diaz of the Minneapolis Star, Bachmann’s former top aide Andy Parrish has kept a tight lip in regards to the congresswoman’s ethics troubles until recently. “The time has come to confirm that ‘Witness A’ is Andy Parrish, and he’ll be providing an affidavit with supporting material that completely supports the representations previously made by Peter Waldron,” according to a statement from Parrish’s lawyer.
Waldron went public earlier this year with accusations that Bachmann failed to pay her campaign staffers, among other charges. Parrish’s testimony is expected to address Waldron’s claim that Bachmann’s campaign paid Iowa campaign chairman and state Sen. Kent Sorenson — a clear violation of the state’s ethics laws. Sorenson and Bachmann have denied any wrongdoing.
According to Salon’s Alex Steitz-Wald, there are at least three current investigations into the Bachmann’s presidential campaign, “including a Federal Election Commission probe and one from the Office of Congressional Ethics. Authorities also reportedly opened a criminal investigation into the alleged theft of a email list by Sorenson from a campaign volunteer.”
Leave a Reply