Former Top Paul Broun Staffer Indicted On Eight Counts

Then-senate canddiate Paul Broun speaking at the Floyd County Republican Party's annual Tilman Hanger event. Photo: Jon Richards
Then-senate canddiate Paul Broun speaking at the Floyd County Republican Party’s annual Tilman Hanger event. Photo: Jon Richards

The Department of Justice indicted David Bowser, the former chief of staff for then-Representative Paul Broun, with one count of obstruction of proceedings, one count theft of government property, one count of concealment of material facts, and five counts of making false statements in connection to the congressional ethics investigation into Broun’s misuse of taxpayer dollars.

Broun’s campaign in the 9th Congressional District raised concerns his ethics investigation, which closed when he left Congress after losing the 2014 senatorial Republican primary, could be reopened if he beat incumbent Representative Doug Collins.

The alleged ethics violation occurred when Broun’s congressional office paid Brett O’Donnell $2,500 a month to sharpen Broun’s communication skills for floor speeches. O’Donnell received a total of $43,750 from Broun’s office for services provided from 2012 to 2014. In 2015, O’Donnell pleaded guilty to lying to investigators.

Bowser claims O’Donnell exclusively worked on congressional matters, yet in the guilty plea, Bowser is quoted as saying the Office of Congressional Ethics can go “f—- themselves.” O’Donnell also claimed Bowser asked him to maintain he is a volunteer debate coach for Broun’s campaign.

In response to the indictment, Broun said he is “disappointed” about Bowser’s indictment and that he was “not aware of any ethics violations by my staff at any time.”

“All roads in this criminal case lead back to Paul Broun. When is he going to take responsibility for abusing taxpayers hard earned money?” said Doug Collins Campaign Manager Carmen Foskey.

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