REPUBLICAN RAINMAKER ARRESTED AND CHARGED-- MANY GOP CANDIDATES REFUSE TO RETURN THE TAINTED FUNDS

Two recipients of Alan Fabian's bribes

You haven't heard of Alan Fabian? You're probably not a Republican officer holder-- or a law enforcement officer. The co-chair of Mitt Romney's national finance committee may not be as big a fish as Jack Abramoff when it comes to corruption but he's immensely wealthy and he's donated over a quarter million dollars to Republicans-- and you definitely wouldn't want him dating your daughter. Last week Fabian was charged last week on 23 counts of bankruptcy fraud, mail fraud, money laundering, obstruction of justice and perjury. Would you expect less from a major Republican rainmaker who has given bribes contributions to all the stellar losers of the Republican Party, from George W. Bush right down to Macawitz and Conrad Burns. In fact, he has a tendency to pick big losers. He's wasted a great deal of money on the party's most spectacular losers, like Rick Santorum, Mike DeWine, Rob Simmons Anne Northup, Mark Kennedy, Thomas Kean, Mike Whalen, Michael Steele... he's got an extraordinary track record.

A federal grand jury has indicted Fabian for allegedly making $32 million in false purchases of computer equipment to pay for his lavish spending habits. Prosecutors are seeking $32 million worth of Fabian’s assets, including beach real estate in North Carolina, property in Maryland and a yacht.

Both Romney and Giuliani have announced that they're returning the tainted money they were given by Fabian. Giuliani, who has his own problems with organized crime, sex offenders and David Diaoers Vitter, was quick to try to associate Fabian with Romney. In returning the large donation he got from the indicted Republicrook, Giuliani's campaign released a statement reading “We are returning the contribution Romney’s national finance co-chair gave Rudy Giuliani."

On the other hand, Republicans who have not returned the ill-gotten money Fabian gave them include Steve Chabot (OH), Jim Gerlach (PA), Michele Bachmann (MN), Jon Porter (NV), Heather Wilson (NM), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA), Elizabeth Dole (NC), and Dave Reichert (WA). Other crooked Republicans who were on the take from Fabian are Peter Roskam (IL) , Charlie Dent (PA), Rick Renzi (AZ).

Heather Wilson seems to have been a multiple recipient of Fabian's dirty money and she refuses to give any back.

John Sides, an assistant professor at George Washington University who specializes in political behavior, said lawmakers who accept funds from an indicted donor face problems of appearance.

“Regardless of whether Mr. Fabian is convicted or guilty, the fact that he’s indicted casts suspicion on him and casts suspicion on the candidate for taking money from him,” said Sides. “It doesn’t matter if it’s only a thousand dollars, because your opponent can say you took money from a crook. The amount of money is only a detail.”

Sides said that lawmakers in this position have few good options available to them.

“It’s a decision between two bad things,” he said. “One bad thing is you keep the money and that makes you vulnerable [to attacks] or you give the money back and then you look guilty [of having accepted illicit funds].”

Fabian will be arraigned in late September. He has resigned from the Romney campaign.