The Republican candidate seeking to oust Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good (R-VA) could face an investigation over allegations he listed a deceased person as his campaign treasurer to approve finance reports.
In a letter sent to U.S. Attorney Jessica Aber last week, John McGuire is accused of making “serious financial discrepancies” in previous campaigns for the state legislature as well as for Congress. The letter specifically cites reports from McGuire’s run for Virginia’s House of Delegates in 2021 that showed the candidate’s fundraising arm, Friends of John McGuire, listing David Matthew Clemens as the campaign treasurer even after his death in October of that year.
Clemens was appointed treasurer on July 26, 2021, according to the group’s statement of organization, and was tasked with authorizing all expenditure reports in that position. Clemens later died on Oct. 10, 2021, triggering a state law requiring the campaign to designate a new treasurer within 10 days.
However, campaign finance reports show McGuire continued to file finance reports for his House District 56 race with Clemens’s approval until August 2022, roughly 10 months after Clemens had died.
As a result, lawyer Matthew Hardin is requesting an investigation into “the identity of the individual in actual day-to-day control of the accounts,” the letter states.
Hardin does not have any connection to either the Good or McGuire campaign, he told the Washington Examiner. Rather, the lawyer said he has met both the candidates personally and used to live in Washington, D.C., which prompted the “deeper dive” into the race.
The letter points to an email address listed under Clemens’s name in the statement of organization that appears to belong to Thomas Datwyler, who is from Wisconsin. However, Hardin argues, state law dictates that a campaign treasurer must be a registered voter of the state, which would be a “separate violation of the law” aside from listing a deceased treasurer.
“Given that Mr. Clemens continued to be listed as treasurer for months after his death, it raises the question whether Mr. Datwyler was performing the role of treasurer, perhaps before and after Mr. Clemens’ death,” Hardin wrote.
An amended statement of organization provided to the Washington Examiner shows Friends of Bob McGuire updating its treasurer in March 2022 under the name of Madelyn McGuire. That updated form also listed Datwyler’s email under the treasurer’s information.
The Washington Examiner contacted the McGuire campaign for comment.
Hardin cited campaign finance reports that show Datwyler listed as the treasurer for McGuire’s federal campaign for Virgnia’s 7th Congressional District in 2021-2022.
“It appears that Mr Datwyler performed this role with respect to Mr McGuire’s federal campaign during the same time period … in which Datwyler is named as treasurer (which is legal in federal committees),” Hardin wrote. “It appears possible that McGuire likely used Datwyler for the same purpose in his Virginia race, in contravention of the law, explaining why Virginia filings inaccurately listed a deceased individual.”
Hardin listed several other irregularities and possible campaign finance violations throughout his letter, including duplicate expenditure reports between two state campaigns, acceptance of illegal contributions during the General Assembly session, and the use of state funds for a federal race, among other things.
The letter, which was also sent to Goochland County Commonwealth Attorney John Lumpkins, requests a “full investigation into these apparent violations” and to “take any appropriate action” necessary.
Good’s campaign told the Washington Examiner it was unaware of the allegations against McGuire. However, a spokesperson criticized the Republican challenger and said the team expects “the appropriate authorities will investigate this matter.”
“I’m sure it will be fairly easy to determine if the treasurer who signed his reports was alive or not at the time of signing,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
It’s not entirely clear whether the matter will be taken up by officials for an investigation. A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Eastern Virginia confirmed with the Washington Examiner it received the letter from Hardin but noted that such inquiries are forwarded to separate investigative bodies for review.
The Washington Examiner also contacted Lumpkins for comment but did not hear back before deadline.
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The allegations come as McGuire mounts a challenge to Good’s reelection bid, marking one of the most contentious GOP primaries in the 2024 cycle. Good, who was elected as chairman of the Freedom Caucus earlier this year, is facing a tough primary election on June 18, and several of his Republican colleagues are backing his challenger.
The high-profile challenge comes as House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has implored members not to get involved with other members’ primaries, instead urging Republicans to project a sense of unity ahead of the 2024 election. However, several members have actively appeared at campaign events alongside McGuire, raising questions about Good’s survival.
