2009.02.09: February 9, 2009: Headlines: Figures: COS - Fiji: Politics: Congress: Crime: Stamford Advocate: Shays claims campaign manager embezzled $190,000

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Fiji: Special Report: Former Congressman Chris Shays: RPCV Congressman Chris Shays: Newest Stories: 2009.02.09: February 9, 2009: Headlines: Figures: COS - Fiji: Politics: Congress: Crime: Stamford Advocate: Shays claims campaign manager embezzled $190,000

By Admin1 (admin) (151.196.6.74) on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 - 5:38 pm: Edit Post

Shays claims campaign manager embezzled $190,000

Shays claims campaign manager embezzled $190,000

Shays filed a formal complaint with the FEC against Sohn in January, and in a year-end summary, Shays' campaign treasurer, Ralph DePanfilis, told the FEC that the campaign was attempting to determine "the nature and extent of the embezzlement." Shays plans to raise additional campaign funds to cover the outstanding obligations. The money is owed to campaign workers, consultants and vendors, and includes a $22,000 personal loan Shays made to the campaign in December. Congressman Chris Shays of Connecticut served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Fiji in the 1960's.

Shays claims campaign manager embezzled $190,000

Shays claims Sohn embezzled $190,000

By Peter Urban Staff Writer

Posted: 02/09/2009 08:37:01 PM EST

WASHINGTON - In documents expected to be filed Monday night with the Federal Election Commission, former U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays was to detail nearly $190,000 in misappropriated funds that he has accused his former campaign manager of embezzling.

The 11 amended reports cover the 2008 campaign and offer new details into allegations that Michael Sohn of Fairfield took the funds from Shays' campaign over the last two years.

Sohn has been a focus of a criminal investigation into the disappearance of the funds. He was subpoenaed last month by a grand jury investigating the missing money.

Shays filed a formal complaint with the FEC against Sohn in January, and in a year-end summary, Shays' campaign treasurer, Ralph DePanfilis, told the FEC that the campaign was attempting to determine "the nature and extent of the embezzlement."

Stamford attorney Alex Hernandez, who is representing Sohn, declined to comment on the accusations. "If the Shays campaign has any information regarding this matter, they have not shared it with me or my client," Hernandez said.

The amended reports that the campaign said it planned to file Monday night show the Shays campaign is about $200,000 in debt. The documents reveal campaign spending that had been hidden from prior reports, including about $83,000 in campaign checks, $70,000 in ATM withdrawals, $16,000 in excess payroll and $22,000 in other unauthorized spending charges.

Michael Fox, a spokesman for Shays, said Shays plans to raise additional campaign funds to cover the outstanding obligations. The money is owed to campaign workers, consultants and vendors, and includes a $22,000 personal loan Shays made to the campaign in December.

"Chris and his wife Betsi are committed to doing whatever they need to do to ensure that the campaign meets all its financial obligations - everything from software services and consulting services to the standard vendors," Fox said.

Shays, who raised nearly $3.7 million in the 2008 election cycle, will face a somewhat daunting task of raising an additional $200,000 under the same campaign finance restrictions he faced during the campaign. He cannot raise additional funds from many supporters, who had already contributed the maximum allowed.

Fox estimated that hundreds of man-hours of work have gone into reviewing financial documents so amended reports could be prepared for the FEC. "Our goal is to be totally compliant and responsive to their needs," he said.

- Peter Urban writes for the Connecticut Post.
The campaign documents claim that Sohn took about: $83,000 in campaign checks written to himself; $70,000 through more than 100 ATM withdrawals; $16,000 in payroll; $11,000 in Verizon charges; and $11,000 in other unapproved spending, including a ticket to a Red Sox baseball game.




Links to Related Topics (Tags):

Headlines: February, 2009; RPCV Chris Shays (Fiji); Figures; Peace Corps Fiji; Directory of Fiji RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Fiji RPCVs; Politics; Congress; Crime; Connecticut





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Story Source: Stamford Advocate

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Figures; COS - Fiji; Politics; Congress; Crime

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