Another Republican congressional scandal — this one involving Curt Weldon (a local congressman in the next district to mine). Regardless of any legal presumption of innocence, the reality is that he’s presumed about as innocent as a Duke La Crosse player. Considering today’s huge front page story, I’d say his goose is cooked:
FBI agents searched the homes and offices of U.S. Rep. Curt Weldon’s daughter, a local powerbroker, and a Russian energy firm yesterday for evidence that the Republican may have improperly steered contracts to his daughter’s lobbying firm.
The Pennsylvania congressman’s home and offices were not searched, though the raids confirmed the scope of the inquiry.
The scenes of agents carting evidence to government sedans here and in Florida came three weeks before Election Day, Nov. 7, as the 10-term incumbent faced a tight race and as Republicans nationally tried to shake stories about ethical lapses.
Weldon acknowledged yesterday that he was under investigation but declined to discuss the Russian business deals under scrutiny.
“That’s not fair to the people who had their homes invaded today,” Weldon told reporters. “In the end, I think you will find that there was nothing done that was wrong… . I haven’t helped get my daughter anything.”
His Democratic opponent, former Navy Adm. Joe Sestak, declined to comment. “You just have to wait and see,” Sestak adviser David Landau said. “Right now, it is between Weldon and the FBI.”
Opponent Sestak is a former Clinton White House official, hosted recently by Sandy Berger and said to be hand-picked by the Clintons. And I’d say he’ll win, even if there aren’t any criminal charges or if they prove to be unfounded.
What fascinates me is how the FBI raids managed to take place just weeks before the election. Today’s story says it had something to do with “news reports“:
The FBI quickly arranged yesterday’s six searches after weekend news reports alerted the Weldons that they were under investigation, sources said. In such situations, agents fear evidence could be destroyed.
Four raids were conducted in the Philadelphia region and two in Jacksonville, Fla., officials said:
In Philadelphia, agents carted boxes from Karen Weldon’s three-story brick house on Queen Street. She could not be reached for comment yesterday.
In Delaware County, FBI agents blocked off Kelli Lane leading to the Springfield home of Charles P. Sexton Jr. and removed at least one box and a bag of material. Sexton, who could not be reached for comment, is a longtime ally of Weldon’s and has been a power in Delaware County GOP politics for more than three decades. As agents removed items from Sexton’s home, they strolled past a “Weldon for Congress” yard sign.
Whether the timing is questionable depends on whether you believe in last-minute pre-election coincidences.
Sestak and Weldon were once considered to be in a tight race.
But that was weeks ago.
(According to an old saying, “two weeks is a long time in American politics.”)