Congressman's Tale of Two Contributions

Lev Parnas jumped back into the news recently insisting the Trump Administration orchestrated a “Dirt for Dollars” scheme leading to the President’s impeachment.

That led to renewed talk about campaign cash doled out by Parnas and his indicted cohort Igor Fruman, illegal/foreign campaign cash according to prosecutors.

Money that went to among others Nebraska Congressman Don Bacon and fellow GOP heavyweight Kevin McCarthy.

Money they both returned, both pleading ignorance.

Bacon: They lied when they donated to our campaign. Actually they didn’t donate directly. I never met these guys. But they lied. They said they were citizens.

McCarthy: I do not know the man. He came to a fundraiser and provided the money to a fund. Learning f of that information, we gave that to charity.

According to campaign records, while running for re-election in 2018 Bacon received two contributions from Igor Fruman.

One for $271 in March of 2018 , the second for $2,173 in June.

Bacon: They donated I believe through Kevin McCarthy, I believe. It was all on the up and once but once we found out they lied, that it was illegal, yes we got rid of that money.

Since then Bacon has received another arguably questionable contribution.

This one from disgraced and now former GOP Congressman Duncan Hunter.

Hunter: I failed to monitor and account for my campaign  spending.

But prosecutors called it stealing and Hunter’s been convicted of pocketing 150 thousand dollars in campaign cash, accused of using the money for lavish family vacations, not to mention a reported five extra-marital affairs.

Bacon: I want to commit to you our conservative principles, I stand by them

When Bacon was first running for Congress in 2016, Hunter’s political action committee gave Bacon $1,000.

Money Bacon has not returned and tells me he has no plans to.

Bacon: What he did with his personal use was wrong but not his PAC contributions. His PAC money spending that is  what it was intended for, to give to other candidates so it wasn’t illegal.

NCN: You think the Duncan Hunter money is clean and that’s OK.

Bacon: Duncan Hunter’s money that he sent to me was legal. He was spending his money illegally on himself.

As Bacon runs for re-election, Parnas and Fruman await trial, while Duncan Hunter awaits sentencing, facing up to five years in prison.

See NCN's full video report above.