Herschel Walker is in hot water, but not for any wayward political comments or another run for office.
The current frenzy is over a fraudulent political donation worth more than half-a-million dollars that were apparently used to fund a secret company.
The Daily Beast obtained authenticated emails between Walker and his longtime friend the billionaire Dennis Washington where Walker asks Washington to wire him $535,200. On Friday, ethics watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed a federal complaint against Walker claiming that he violated law.
The emails indicate that Washington believed he was donating the money to Walker’s 2021 senatorial campaign in Georgia. It seems he didn’t realize that a sizable investment would be used to finance an undisclosed company called HR Talent, LLC.
It was only after the money was wired that Washington learned Walker couldn’t use the funds for political purposes from a third party. Representatives from Washington’s company addressed the matter with Walker and discussed the possibility of redirecting the funds to a Super PAC that supported Walker’s campaign.
It’s still unknown where the money went. Washington and his family members donated a total of $600,000, of which $64,800 was sent to Walker’s campaign committee. The Federal Election Commission records show the contribution limit for the 2021-2022 election cycle for the U.S. Senate race was $51,200.
Ethics watchdogs say that if he did indeed use that money to subsidize his company, it would be a major campaign finance crime among other numerous violations. Campaign finance violations can be prosecuted if the persons involved are “knowing and willful.”
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington is now calling on the FEC to launch an investigation and “declare” that Walker has violated regulations.
They also are demanding that the federal agency impose sanctions and refer the “matter to the Department of Justice for criminal prosecution should the investigation reveal that criminal laws were violated.”
Users on social media are responding to the news.
Maybe commenters are not surprised by the findings after the former NFL player ran a campaign that was wrought with controversy.
Walker, a football legend from tiny Wrightsville, Georgia, and ostensible multimillionaire businessman, was the Republican nominee in the 2022 United States Senate election in Georgia.
His campaign traded on his broad recognition in Georgia as a record-setting running back at the University of Georgia who won the Heisman Trophy in 1982, which was enough to catapult him to popularity among the red state’s Republican voters 40 years later. His eccentric speeches and unconventional comments mimicked in style and substance those of former President Donald Trump, who connected with many Republican voters who distrusted establishment politicians and America’s overall political landscape.
Many of Walker’s political opponents called him a “token” for white Republicans looking to attract voters from different racial and ethnic backgrounds. His lack of political experience and policy knowledge, as well as his offbeat remarks, were a major turnoff for many Georgia voters.
And this latest news isn’t his first run-in with scandal. During his campaign, allegations of domestic violence against his ex-wife along with claims that he paid for his ex-girlfriend’s abortions emerged. Walker strongly advocated for a nationwide ban on the procedure.
Rev. Raphael Warnock, the Democratic incumbent who had won the seat in a special election during the 2020 cycle, ended up defeating Warnock in a runoff election, extending his brief tenure as the first Black U.S. senator from Georgia. Had Walker won, the GOP would have secured the majority in the Senate.
