Herschel Walker in shocking campaign donation scandal
Atlanta, Georgia - Former Republican candidate for US Senate Herschel Walker has come under fire for wiring hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign donations to his personal company.
Walker transferred $535,200 in political contributions he received from his friend, billionaire Dennis Washington, to his firm HR Talent and then failed to disclose the financial statements, The Daily Beast uncovered.
Because the money in HR Talent could not be used for campaign activities, Washington's team requested the funds be transferred to a super PAC supporting Walker's run, but records show that move never happened.
The ex-NFL running back ended up losing his Republican bid to unseat Raphael Warnock in the 2022 Georgia Senate runoffs, but that might not be the only defeat he suffers.
Experts cited in the report say Walker could be found to have violated federal fundraising rules, which prohibit candidates from using political donations for personal purposes, with the possibility he may have committed wire fraud.
Experts weigh in on Herschel Walker donation scandal
Experts have called Walker's scheme one of the most brazen campaign finance violations in recent history.
The Campaign Legal Center's Saurav Ghosh described it to The Daily Beast as "jaw-dropping," while Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics' Jordan Libowitz called it "one of the biggest campaign finance crimes I’ve ever heard of."
Neither Walker nor his wife, Julie Blanchard, has spoken out since the report went public.
Cover photo: ALEX WONG / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP