U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot's reelection campaign has a new treasurer following questions about his campaign finances.
Records filed with the Federal Elections Commission Sept. 16 list Natalie Baur as the treasurer of Chabot for Congress. Previously, Bauer was campaign finance director for the Ohio Republican Party and is currently in that role for U.S. Sen. Rob Portman. Baur also serves as treasurer for Portman.
The man formerly listed with the FEC since 2011 as Chabot's campaign treasurer, Jim Schwartz, Sr., issued a statement disavowing any knowledge about those filings and said he played only a minor role in Chabot's past campaigns.
That disavowal comes as Chabot's campaign works to explain $123,000 in discrepancies in recent FEC filings. Schwartz's son, high-profile GOP strategist and Chabot campaign staffer Jamie Schwartz, is thought to be at the center of a federal investigation into the campaign finance gaps.
Chabot campaign attorney Mark Braden issued a statement about the change-up.
“As the campaign said when it first learned it was the victim of financial malfeasance, it is taking every available step to conduct a thorough review and audit of its finances and put controls in place to ensure nothing similar can happen again. As part of those efforts, the campaign has named as its new treasurer the most respected campaign compliance expert in Ohio. The campaign has also established rigorous processes and procedures going forward to safeguard its finances and ensure all future expenditures are documented and in compliance with the FEC.”
