A federal grand jury in Boston is investigating allegations that Sen. Bob Dole’s presidential campaign received thousands of dollars in illegal campaign contributions from workers at a company led by one of his national vice chairmen.
Sources confirmed Thursday that the jury has subpoenaed a list of company employees and their addresses. The subpoena also reportedly seeks a list of outside sales representatives who work with the firm, Aqua-Leisure Industries of Avon, Mass.
The subpoena was issued just days after a story in The Kansas City Star detailed the allegations.
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The newspaper reported Sunday that contributors linked to the company claimed that workers were illegally reimbursed for giving to Dole’s campaign.
The sporting-goods company is run by Simon Fireman, a national vice chairman of finance for Dole’s campaign. Four contributors said his executive assistant gave some workers stacks of $100 bills last year and told them to return with checks made out to “Dole for President.” They reported personally receiving $5,000.
Fireman is in Asia and unavailable for comment. Earlier, he and his assistant, Carol Nichols, denied any wrongdoing.
Carl Leppo, a lawyer for Nichols, said Thursday he could neither confirm nor deny the grand jury investigation.
Federal records show that last year Fireman, his workers and their families sent Dole’s campaign 40 individual checks totaling $40,000. The gifts came not only from top managers, but also from secretaries, a bookkeeper and a warehouse manager.
Bank records show large amounts of cash flowed into some contributors’ personal checking accounts just before the donations.
There has been a flurry of activity this week after the allegations.
On Sunday, Dole called for a federal investigation.
“If somebody did that, they’re in deep trouble,” Dole said on CBS-TV’s “Face the Nation.”
On Monday, the general counsel for his campaign wrote the Federal Election Commission, seeking an inquiry. The same day, an FBI spokesman in Boston acknowledged his agency was looking into the allegations, and sources said agents had begun visiting contributors.
The public advocacy group Common Cause joined the debate Tuesday, also urging an FEC investigation.