Senator-elect Mike Johanns has dismissed his longtime aide Chris Peterson for "improperly handling" a campaign contribution 10 months ago.
DON WALTON / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Thursday, January 1, 2009 12:00 am
Senator-elect Mike Johanns has dismissed his longtime aide Chris Peterson for “improperly handling” a campaign contribution 10 months ago.
Peterson, who managed Johanns’ successful 2008 Senate campaign, had been named the senator-elect’s deputy chief of staff. Johanns withdrew the offer on Wednesday.
When Johanns was governor, Peterson served as his spokesman and later as his deputy chief of staff.
Peterson improperly handled a $1,000 cash contribution to the campaign last February, according to a statement released by Sarah Pompei, who will serve as Johanns’ press secretary.
According to the statement, Federal Election Commission rules explain the appropriate way to handle such a contribution would be to deposit the full amount, report $100 as the maximum allowable cash contribution from an individual, and refund $900 to the contributor.
Peterson informed Johanns on Tuesday that he had broken a portion of the donation into $50 increments or less, which were reported in a series of deposits received from an “anonymous” donor, and then spent the remainder in the campaign as petty cash, the statement said.
No money was diverted from the campaign.
In a brief statement, Peterson said he “brought this to the attention of Mike Johanns yesterday.”
Peterson said he is “working (in cooperation) with the campaign and will do so with the FEC.”
The Johanns campaign self-reported the incident to the FEC on Wednesday and Johanns directed a full refund of the donation to Tydd Rohrbaugh of Greenwood.
Any further action would be up to the FEC.
FEC spokeswoman Mary Brandenberger told the Associated Press she couldn’t comment on any specific case. But she said the FEC reviews reported violations, conducts its own investigation and then decides whether to take civil action — usually a fine.
Reach Don Walton at 473-7248 or at dwalton@journalstar.com.