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GOP Group Accuses Ex-Treasurer Of Theft

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Bloomberg News

Published: June 13, 2008

The former treasurer of the National Republican Congressional Committee embezzled about $725,000 over seven years, according to a report released Thursday by attorneys for the group.

Former NRCC Treasurer Christopher Ward allegedly covered his theft by creating false audits for the committee's leadership from 2001 to 2006 and the problem was discovered after he failed to produce an audit for 2007, a report produced by the Washington-based law firm of Covington & Burling LLP said.

Ronald Machen, an attorney for Ward, said neither he nor Ward "have a comment at this time."

The NRCC is responsible for raising and distributing money to Republican candidates for Congress.

The loss of money and the resulting probe has hampered the party as it tries to avoid further losses in Congress in the November elections. Independent analysts are predicting Democrats will likely increase their 235-199 House majority in part because more than two dozen Republicans are retiring, leaving open seats that are easier for opponents to win.

U.S. Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma, the chairman of the NRCC, said in a written statement that the "misappropriated funds and related accounting irregularities took nearly five months for financial experts to unravel, diverting precious financial resources and time that would otherwise have been devoted to our main job of electing Republicans to Congress."

The NRCC spent about $530,000 on the report, said Robert Kelner, an attorney for Covington who helped write the report.

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