A new report from The Daily Beast outlines serious allegations of potential violations of federal rules around campaign finance amid failed GOP Senate candidate Herschel Walker’s run for office. Walker infamously lost last year in a runoff election in which he faced Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock, who is now serving a full term of six years.
Allegations circulating so far hinge on The Daily Beast’s report. In short, emails obtained by the publication show Walker soliciting vast amounts of money from what was apparently the family of personal friend Dennis Washington. The (potentially damaging) problem, though, is that much of this money didn’t even go to a Walker campaign entity, whether his main campaign or a super PAC supporting his ill-fated ambitions, records indicate. At Walker’s direction, over half a million dollars were instead provided to a personal company of his that he didn’t even include in key financial disclosure forms required of candidates for office, and as The Daily Beast explained the situation, it’s unclear where that money eventually went.
Discussions spotlighted in the publication seem to confirm the funds were provided specifically in the context of Walker’s campaign. If the money instead went to Walker’s personal use, that’s not allowed, and if it still went to the campaign but was surreptitiously utilized, that would also be not allowed.
Walker also discussed contribution limits in some of his communications, suggesting a level of knowledge — and possibly intention — on his part in any scheme evading federal requirements for donations of this size that actually transpired. At least $535,200 was eventually provided to HR Talent, LLC, a longtime Walker company originating in the early 2000s with past involvement in a quickly shuttered talent showcase highlighting what were apparently rural communities.
Walker was still directing a representative associated with the Washington family to send money to HR Talent months after the original exchanges resulted in transferring those hundreds of thousands of dollars, about which Tim McHugh, working with the Washingtons, was concerned. The original transfers came in March of last year, and emails showed Walker push for additional money to be sent to HR Talent in November, not long before the runoff election pitting the Trump endorsement recipient against Warnock, who’s a pastor.
Walker’s defeat in Georgia helped ensure Democrats retained control of the Senate for at least the next two years. The party also added a seat in Pennsylvania when Democratic contender John Fetterman replaced retiring Republican Pat Toomey. Experts consulted for the report from The Daily Beast said there could be criminal consequences associated with whatever precisely went down with the money sent to Walker’s company.
