DeSantis hasn't returned $213,000 from man charged in an illegal donor scheme [View all]
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article267892487.html
DeSantis hasnt returned $213,000 from man charged in an illegal donor scheme
BY SHERIDAN WALL UPDATED OCTOBER 27, 2022 8:17 AM
This image from the website of Allied Wallet CEO Ahmad Andy Khawaja shows Khawaja posing with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. AP
Gov. Ron DeSantis has millions at his disposal, yet his campaign has not returned $213,000 in contributions from a fugitive charged with making illegal straw donations.
The donations came from Ahmad Andy Khawaja, the owner of an online payments processing company called Allied Wallet, Inc., and one of Khawajas companies.
Khawaja now faces straw donor and wire fraud charges connected to his California-based business. Khawaja, described in court filings as a fugitive, currently lives abroad and is fighting extradition.
Khawaja donated to DeSantis during his first run for governor in 2018. At the time, one of DeSantis opponents, former Agricultural Commissioner Adam Putnam, called for DeSantis to join other politicians, such as Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, who either returned Khawajas contributions or donated the money to charity following reports of suspicious activity by Khawaja and his company.
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