Mitch McConnell is horrified, heartbroken, and praying Joni Ernst's heart is with Texas

House Ethics Committee Is Investigating Texas Republican Pat Fallon

for @forbes

forbes.com/sites/zachever… @Forbes The ethics committee did not disclose why it was investigating Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas).

But his office said the query involved his failure to report stock trades within the time required by the STOCK Act.

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forbes.com/sites/zachever…

Some highlights from the latest issue of Checks & Imbalances, @Forbes's free newsletter on money and politics.

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forbes.com/newsletter/che… @Forbes Trump’s PAC pays Trump’s club $318,000 in one fell swoop

(Would ❤️ to have heard the negotiations about this rental.)

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forbes.com/sites/zachever…

Last week, we learned the CEO of the bank that gave Donald Trump a new $100 million mortgage on Trump Tower is a political supporter.

Turns out, the chair of the title insurer is a political backer too.

for @Forbes

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forbes.com/sites/zachever… @Forbes This news, BTW, went out to subscribers of Checks & Imbalances last night.

Become one too. It's free.

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forbes.com/checksandimbal…

A campaign filing the NRA’s PAC made last week confirmed that the group did indeed suffer a ransomware attack last fall.

for @Forbes

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forbes.com/sites/zachever… @Forbes In October 2021, a Russian cybercriminal group called Grief claimed to have hacked the NRA and posted 13 of the organization’s files to a site on the dark web.

@kevincollier for @NBCNews

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nbcnews.com/tech/security/…

Update: @Forbes' tracker of Donald Trump's legal problems now includes a suit brought by tenants of rent-controlled buildings once owned by Fred Trump.

It's just 1 of now 34 investigations and lawsuits we're monitoring.

forbes.com/sites/zachever… @Forbes Six or so cases and investigations were updated in @Forbes' rundown of all Trump's legal problems.

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forbes.com/sites/zachever…

New: Trump refinances $100 million mortgage on Trump Tower—with a bank headed by a political supporter

for @Forbes

forbes.com/sites/zachever… @Forbes The financing for the new $100 million mortgage on Trump Tower came from Axos Bank.

@AxosBank CEO Gregory Garrabrants has contributed $50,000 to Republican campaigns, including $9,600 in support of Trump.

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forbes.com/sites/zachever…

GOP Donor Seeking Bankruptcy Protection For His Home Walked Daughter Down The Aisle At Mar-a-Lago

for @Forbes

forbes.com/sites/zachever… @Forbes Remember Richard Kofoed?

He's the serial entrepreneur who—

💰 filed for personal bankruptcy

💰 was accused of embezzling millions

💰 donated $800,000 to GOP

💰 moved next door to Mar-a-Lago

💰 filed for bankruptcy for LLC that owns his CA home

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forbes.com/sites/zachever…

Former Rep. John Ratcliffe’s campaign paid $11,000 to the firm that designed his new personal website.

The expenditure could violate @FEC rules.

Here's how @forbes was able to report the story—

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forbes.com/sites/zachever… @FEC @Forbes In July 2021, a tipster pointed out that Trump's former DNI John Ratcliffe was paying his wife $3,000/month to manage the books of his old campaign.

FEC filings confirmed it, and we reported it.

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forbes.com/sites/zachever…

Former Rep. John Ratcliffe’s campaign paid $11,000 to the firm that designed his new personal website.

@Forbes found no evidence that firm did any work on behalf of Ratcliffe’s old campaign.

The expenditure could violate @FEC rules.

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forbes.com/sites/zachever… @Forbes @FEC John Ratcliffe's old campaign has paid his wife $30,000 to manage its books, as @Forbes reported last week.

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forbes.com/sites/zachever…

Yesterday @Forbes published one of the wildest stories I've ever worked on:

"Trump Donor Allegedly Used Embezzled Money To Support The Former President’s Campaign And Lead A Lavish Lifestyle"

Here's how it came about—

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forbes.com/sites/zachever… @Forbes All of the facts and allegations in this article were available (that is, it was an open-source investigation). #osint

It was just a matter of finding them.

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forbes.com/sites/zachever…

A Facebook whistleblower is about to testify before a Senate subcommittee on protecting kids online.

11 of the panel's 12 members have accepted political contributions from @Facebook.

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forbes.com/sites/zachever… @Facebook Watch Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen testify before the Senate subcommittee here:

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commerce.senate.gov/2021/10/protec…

Political contributions From Facebook's top brass exceed $3.9 million

vi @forbes

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forbes.com/sites/zachever… @Forbes .@Facebook lists 24 executives on its website.

21 of them have donated to US political campaigns.

The contributions total $3.9 million.

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forbes.com/sites/zachever…

Democrat on powerful House Ways and Means Committee apparently violated stock-trade rules

for @Forbes
forbes.com/sites/zachever… @Forbes Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY) disclosed more than $6 million in trades going back to January 2017 in a disclosure filed this week.

The STOCK Act requires lawmakers report securities transactions with 45 days.

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forbes.com/sites/zachever…

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) used campaign funds to pay rent.

She says she reimbursed the money.

for @Forbes

forbes.com/sites/zachever… @Forbes In Aug., the FEC asked @laurenboebert's campaign for details about personal expenses she'd paid via Venmo but said she'd later reimbursed her campaign for

Yesterday, Boebert's campaign provided the info—

It was for rent and utilities.

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forbes.com/sites/zachever…

A Florida GOP group fights against vaccine mandates and for election integrity.

It just told the FEC it might miss a campaign-filing deadline because its bookkeeper died from Covid-19.

for @Forbes

forbes.com/sites/zachever… @Forbes The Hillsborough County Republican Party Executive Committee's @Facebook page rails against mask mandates, vaccine requirements, and lockdowns.

And it is very much concerned with election integrity.

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forbes.com/sites/zachever…

New: Why Rep. Ilhan Omar’s book deal hasn’t appeared on her financial disclosures—

She hasn't made any money from it, according to her agent.

for @Forbes

forbes.com/sites/zachever… @Forbes Around the time Rep. @Ilhan (D-Minn.) entered Congress in 2019, she signed a book deal in the $100,000 to $250,000 range, reported @raquelita for @Forbes.

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forbes.com/sites/rachelkr…

Last night I was banned for life from the Trump Hotel DC.

bit.ly/3mFm0C7 It was my first (and apparently) last time getting kicked out of the Trump Hotel DC. 2/

bit.ly/3mFm0C7

Facing investigation over stock trades, Sen. Richard Burr received money for defense from 37 other lawmakers

(for @forbes) 1/

bit.ly/3mjxrzp @Forbes Lawmakers and their PACs have kicked in $280,000 to @SenatorBurr's legal defense fund, according to disclosures @Forbes recently obtained.

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bit.ly/2UD98RE

Looks like Rep. Matt Gaetz's (R-FL) campaign dropped $3,666 at the Camp David gift shop.

ttps://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C00612432/1424142/sb/17

bit.ly/3l55HMs Camp David gift shop seems to be a popular with GOP lawmakers' campaigns.