Court docs: Congressman Bob Brady under FBI scrutiny in campaign finance probe

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Last Updated Nov 21, 2017 6:33 PM EST

Rep. Robert Brady, D-Pennsylvania, is suspected of wrongdoing in the FBI's investigation into payments his campaign allegedly made to his opponent in 2012 to encourage him to drop out of the race, according to an approved search warrant application filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Two political consultants have already been charged in the campaign finance probe involving Brady's reelection campaign, but the recently unsealed search warrant application appears to be the first time Brady himself is mentioned as suspected of criminal wrongdoing in the probe. Federal prosecutors last month said Kenneth Smukler and Donald Jones planned a scheme for the Brady campaign to make an illicit $90,0000 campaign donation to Jimmie Moore, intended to pay down campaign debt.

Now, FBI special agent Jonathan Szeliga says in the search warrant application obtained by CBS News he has "probable cause to believe that Kenneth Smukler, Robert Brady, Donald "D.A." Jones, Jimmie Moore, and Carolyn Cavaness and others known and unknown have committed violations," involving conspiracy, false statements, and causing false campaign contribution reports, and violations related to limits on campaign contributions and expenditures. The search warrant is for all AOL accounts associated with Brady's email account, "bobcongress@aol.com," and Brady's email is listed as the target. The search warrant application is signed by U.S. Magistrate Judge Carol Sandra Moore Wells.

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