“Bobby Thompson” isn’t the only fake identity associated with the charity scammer / GOP donor who was indicted last week in Ohio. Thompson — whose true identity is unknown — also made up a dozen fake names, then allegedly took out money orders in those names so he could make donations to political candidates.
According to the Ohio attorney general’s office, Thompson wrote at least 11 money orders using the names of people who apparently don’t exist, along with addresses associated with his fake charity, U.S. Navy Veterans Association. He used the fake names to give $376 to Florida attorney general Bill McCollum in 2006, $2,260 to Rudy Giuliani’s presidential campaign in 2008 and $500 to Marty Seifert, a former Minnesota state house representative who unsuccessfully ran for governor this year.
You can see copies of the money orders here.
[TPM Gallery: Bobby Thompson And Friends]
A spokesperson from the Ohio AG’s office, Ted Hart, told TPM the office expects to uncover more fraud and characterized the investigation as “very much ongoing.”
The $3,136 in fake-name money orders that they’ve found so far is dwarfed by the hundreds of thousands he gave to conservative political campaigns since 2000 through his own (also fake) name and through his charity’s PAC.
According to an investigation by the St. Petersburg Times, and confirmed by the AG’s office, the alleged scammer contributed $28,000 to the NRSC as “Bobby Thompson,” plus $21,500 to Minnesota Senate candidate Norm Coleman, $5,000 to Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, and $4,600 to Giuliani. He also used his charity’s political action committee, NAVPAC, to funnel $6,913 to former President George W. Bush, $9,377 to Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, $501 to Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo, and $5,000 to Giuliani in contributions and independent expenditures.
That’s in addition to the $55,000 he gave to Virginia attorney general Ken Cuccinelli and $10,000 to Rep. Michele Bachmann and the Minnesota GOP. (Cuccinelli, Bachmann and the party gave their donations away.) Plus the contributions he presumably made to Sen. John McCain and House Minority Leader John Boehner, as well as Bush and Giuliani, in order to take his photo with them at fundraisers.
Thompson was indicted in Ohio on money laundering and grand theft charges, having allegedly stolen millions from (real) people who thought their donations were going to help veterans.
