A McClatchy article today highlights more questionable contributions bundled by Harry Sargeant, this time going to Charlie Crist in 2006.
From the article, McCain donor tied to questionable contributions in Florida
Jihan Nassar, a homemaker in Corona, Calif., is listed as a $500 donor to the campaign of Florida Gov. Charlie Crist. But she insists she never gave a dime.
"I can't make any donations, financially," Nassar said Friday. "We never made any donations, sir. I have no idea what you are talking about."
Follow after the jump for more...
Nassar and her husband, Waleed, are among more than three dozen California donors listed as giving to Crist's campaign on June 19, 2006 -- donations bundled by a controversial Delray Beach defense contractor now under scrutiny for contributions to GOP presidential candidate John McCain.
The article goes on to recap the McCain's problems with Harry Sargeant's bundled contributions, mentioning Sargeant's partner Mustafa Abu Naba'am, and the suit against both by the third partner.
Additionally, it hints at pressure on employees:
Zouhair El Srouji, a 40-year-old accountant in Wildomar, Calif., initially told a reporter on Friday that he had no memory of a $500 donation to the Florida governor.
After reviewing campaign records, however, he said he recalled that a campaign contribution was requested by his employer -- though he couldn't recall who asked him to give.
''It took a lot of convincing, but they said he was a good man and needed our help, and I guess I'm a sucker for helping good people,'' El Srouji said.
There's also the obligatory vote of confidence from Crist:
Reached briefly to talk about his just-announced Dec. 12 wedding date with fiancee Carole Rome, Crist said he wasn't familiar with the specifics and referred questions to his former campaign manager, George LeMieux. ''It's all good,'' Crist said.
Earlier in the week, he called Sargeant "a great patriot.''
Wonder how long that stance will last? I also wonder what this does to Crist's VP chances. If McCain chooses him, they're both tarred with the fundraising scandal, Crist maybe even more so than McCain.