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For many powerful GOP operatives and allied fundraisers, the luncheon last April felt like one part reunion and one part strategy summit for the fall. In reality, the get-together at Karl Rove’s house and office on Weaver Terrace in Washington, D.C., was a bit of both.

The crowd of about two dozen had assembled at the behest of Rove and former Republican National Committee chairman Ed Gillespie. The powerful pair had teamed up earlier in the year to help launch American Crossroads, a non-profit group with separate political advocacy and grassroots lobbying arms that together plan to spend $52 million this year to help a few dozen GOP Senate and House candidates with television ads and get-out-the-vote drives.

Gillespie’s invitation to the April 21 luncheon had a casual tone, asking old political comrades to attend an “informal discussion of the 2010 political landscape.”

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The Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics (CREW) today filed a complaint alleging that Fiesta Bowl executives and their wives violated the campaign finance law by being reimbursed for contributions made to Arizona Republicans.

The complaint, filed with the Federal Election Commission, claims 13 people were reimbursed a combined $28,500 by college football’s Fiesta Bowl for their campaign contributions over five years.

Politicians who received the money were Sen. John McCain, Sen. Jon Kyl, former Rep. J.D. Hayworth, and Rep. John Shadegg, along with McCain’s leadership PAC, called the Straight Talk Express, according to the complaint.

Fiesta Bowl officials also were accused of hosting fundraising events at the Fiesta Bowl Museum for Hayworth, McCain and the Straight Talk Express, another violation of campaign finance laws, CREW said.

The allegations of improper campaign contributions were first raised by The Arizona Republic in late 2009. An outside law firm hired by the Fiesta Bowl to investigate the allegations interviewed 52 employees and last month issued a public report detailing how the bowl reimbursed individuals for making campaign contributions to both federal and local candidates and flew politicians on football junkets. Transcripts of the employee interviews have not been released.  

John H. Junker, the president and CEO of Fiesta Bowl, was fired after the investigative report was issued. Junker is among the 13 named in the CREW complaint to the Federal Election Commission.

The Fiesta Bowl had no immediate comment on the new complaint.

 

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It’s hard to find a Republican politico anywhere who can match former RNC chairman Ed Gillespie’s frenetic pace and huge investment in raising millions and plotting strategy for two key GOP groups aiming to help scores of candidates this fall.

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Veteran Democratic Party operative Craig Varoga has quietly emerged as a significant player in the universe of outside political groups that during election years pump tens of millions of dollars into ads and get–out-the-vote drives to help members in tough races.

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Fred MalekRepublicans nationwide have long relied on Washington venture capitalist Fred Malek to haul in big bucks for their committees and campaigns, but this year the silver-haired Malek is doing double duty of sorts.

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