Thieves stole thousands of dollars from the campaigns of two House Republicans, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission.
Florida Rep. Neal Dunn lost $10,855 due to check fraud, according to FEC filings, while South Carolina Rep. Russell Fry had $2,607.98 stolen. Thieves spent Fry’s campaign funds at Nordstrom, The North Face, Safeway, and Walgreens, according to Raw Story, which first reported the thefts. Republican Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran was also recently a fraud victim, with thieves stealing $700,000 from his campaign accounts.
“On November 18, 2022, it was discovered that a fraudulent check was posted to the Friends of Neal Dunn bank account as of November 3, 2022. After an internal review, it was determined that the committee was victimized by an external check fraud situation. The committee immediately notified the bank of the fraud and froze the account,” Friends of Neal Dunn treasurer Caleb Crosby wrote in a Jan. 27 letter to the FEC.
Dunn’s congressional office did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller’s request for further comment on the matter.
SCOOP: Thieves have jacked the campaign accounts of two more members of Congress, both Republicans. https://t.co/7hcfHy3YCy
— Dave Levinthal (@davelevinthal) January 30, 2023
Fry’s FEC filings show seven fraudulent charges in early November, four at Safeway and one each at Walgreens, Nordstrom and The North Face. All of the charges were made in Seattle, Washington, shops, despite Fry representing South Carolina. (RELATED: Thieves Stole $20,000 In Campaign Donations, Rep. Elise Stefanik Alleges)
“Unfortunately, like many Americans, our debit card information was stolen and used without our permission,” the Fry campaign told Raw Story. “This incident highlights the threats Americans face and the importance of companies securing our card data. Thankfully, all funds were returned.”
Thieves stole more than $12 billion through fraudulent card transactions in 2022, according to a report from Insider Intelligence.