The billionaire, accused of running the largest tax fraud program in US history, has been a prolific donor to Republican groups and causes. The leaders of these organizations have remained silent about the federal charges against him.
Robert Brockman, former CEO of Ohio-based software company Reynolds & Reynolds, was accused in October of running a $ 2 billion tax fraud program.
Justice Department officials at the time said the businessman had been hiding capital gains through various offshore companies in Bermuda and Nevis and secret bank accounts for more than 20 years. Brockman has pleaded guilty to the alleged crimes.
Brockman’s most recent contributions to Republican committees came in 2017, ahead of the congressional mid-term election the following year, according to Federal Election Commission records.
Representatives of the organizations that are still active did not respond when asked whether they would like to plan a refund following the allegations or donate the full amount of the contributions to charity. The articles for 2017 still had to be published in the media.
In 2017, Brockman donated more than $ 80,000 to the National Republican Congressional Committee, the political campaign organization for House Republicans. The GOP lost the house to the Democrats, and Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Became a spokeswoman.
Reynolds & Reynolds is not listed as a Brockman employer on the FEC records showing the NRCC contributions, but the Texas address matches the location shown on other Brockman contributions. The mailing address is also listed on a CNBC-verified corporate registration form for Reynolds & Reynolds. The form, signed in April before Brockman was charged, lists him as CEO.
Brockman also gave more than $ 100,000 to companies affiliated with former Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan, including a six-digit check to the now-defunct joint fundraising committee of the Wisconsin Legislature. The Brockman NRCC donations were traced back to Ryan’s joint fundraising committee, which at the time helped raise funds for the Republican campaign arm.
Brockman also donated $ 5,000 to Prosperity Action, Ryan’s leading political action committee that has remained active since he left office. This contribution was transferred to Prosperity Action by Ryan’s joint fundraising committee.
The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Brockman and his legal team allege the 79-year-old billionaire cannot be tried because he has dementia and is unable to defend himself. Prosecutors reportedly replied that he could fake it and that a hearing on Brockman’s competence is due to take place in June.
A Brockman attorney did not respond to a request for comment.
Democrats are already rushing to the lack of public GOP pushback against Brockman after funding some of their campaigns.
American Bridge, a Democratic super-PAC that specializes in opposition research and first featured on Brockman’s contributions to CNBC, used the episode to blow up the GOP.
“Congressional Republicans have spent the past four years coreing IRS enforcement and cutting taxes on billionaires while they were funded by the largest tax fraud in American history,” said Max Steele, a spokesman for American Bridge. opposite CNBC. “Even though they should return or donate the money, we know they won’t. How can a party blindly loyal to Donald Trump afford to stand up against billionaires who commit tax fraud?”
According to a report by Mother Jones, Brockman also funded a super-PAC in 2012 through companies he controls to support Mitt Romney as president.
All House seats will be available in the medium term in 2022, while at least 34 Senate seats are at stake, according to Cook’s political report. More than two dozen seats in the Democratic and Republican Houses are marked as raids.
Cook is considering the two open Republican Senate seats in Pennsylvania and North Carolina. No seats in the Democratic Senate are listed as an issue on the website, although seats in swing states of Arizona and Georgia are labeled “Lean Democrats.”
Both parties have been investigated in the past for receiving campaign contributions from controversial individuals and in some cases not returning them. John Childs, who was accused and plead guilty of soliciting prostitution in Florida, has continued to fund Republican campaigns.
Records show that Childs donated more than $ 3 million to Republican causes in 2020 alone, including committees affiliated with former President Donald Trump. There is also no record that these donations were returned.
Steve Wynn, a former Republican National Committee finance chairman, has been charged with sexual harassment, which he denied. The former CEO of Wynn Resorts has continued to contribute to Republican campaigns and there is no record of those contributions being returned.
Harvey Weinstein was a major Democratic donor for years before being accused and sentenced to jail for rape. The Washington Post reports that some Democrats contributed the donations for various purposes.
