GOP representative Mark Walker involved in a federal investigation into corruption in North Carolina

Republican Rep. Mark Walker was involved in a federal corruption investigation that rocked the Republican Party of North Carolina and led to the impeachment of former Congressman Robin Hayes (CR).

A Walker-controlled political committee received $ 150,000 from a business owner, Greg Lindberg, while Lindberg would have asked him to pressure North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey to replace his deputy, according to an unsealed indictment released Tuesday.

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Walker, a member of the GOP leadership, is not named in the indictment. However, POLITICO has identified him as "public official A" using the indictment and the records of the FEC.

Text and e-mails issued by the Department of Justice said Walker was participating in Lindberg's ploy to pressure Causey to relocate staff.

"Just between us three … [Public Official A] has already made two calls on our behalf and is trying to help us move the balloon forward, "said one of Lindberg's collaborators in an email to Lindberg in February 2018, according to the act. ;charge. "I was also told that the $ 150,000 would go to [Public Official A]. "

The CEF records show that Lindberg donated Mark Walker's victory to the Committee on February 17, 2018. Lindberg was the first contributor to the committee, which was created just four days before his donation was recorded. The committee is a joint political fundraising committee between Walker's re-election campaign and the Republican National Committee.

Earlier, Lindberg donated more than $ 78,000 to another Walker-affiliated fundraising committee, according to the FEC's archives. Lindberg, founder and chairman of Eli Global and owner of Global Bankers Insurance Group, is a major donor to both political parties, although most of his contributions went to Republicans.

Several people were indicted on Tuesday for public corruption, including Lindberg and Hayes, president of the Republican Party of North Carolina. Lindberg and two of his associates allegedly attempted to bribe Causey, who was working with the authorities and was not charged with the investigation, to dismiss the senior commissioner of the North Carolina Insurance Department.

Walker denied any wrongdoing during a brief interview with POLITICO, saying he had "seen the Insurance Commissioner at various Republican events."

"We are not even part of this investigation," Walker said. "I will not go into [that with] you with any kind of details. Two of my constituents, they contact me, one of them is the county president.

Jack Minor, a spokesman for Walker, pointed out that Mr. Walker was not charged or charged, and that Walker fully cooperated with the investigation, although he refused to specify in what way. Walker was not interviewed by the investigators nor handed over documents, said Minor.

According to the indictment, a partner sent a text message to Lindberg after a phone call with Walker in February: "I discussed our NCDOI case with [Public Official A.] … Excellent opportunity available for support here. "

And in an email to Lindberg in July 2018, one Lindberg employee said he had lunch with Walker and "took the opportunity to tell him about our problem with the DOI … I think [Public Official A] got the message and will reach out to [the COMMISSIONER] during the weekend."

Walker, a former pastor, arrived at Congress in 2015. He took the reins of the Republican Study Committee in 2017 and became the youngest member to head the Conservative Caucus. Walker is now vice president of the House GOP Conference.

Lindberg's activities are also being investigated in Florida, where in 2017 he spent almost overnight from a political donor to a major GOP donor.

Last year, Lindberg persuaded state legislators to enact legislation that would help his companies insert language that would allow foreign insurers, such as his own, to meet solvency requirements. The bill was passed by the state legislature in March 2018.

While he was pressuring Florida House and the Senate, Lindberg improved his political game. In November, Dunhill Holdings, a company in his name, donated $ 50,000 to a political committee controlled by the government of the day. Rick Scott, a Republican. Six days later, Dunhill donated $ 50,000 to a political committee for Jimmy Patronis, a candidate for finance.

By the end of 2018, Lindberg had donated more than $ 600,000 to dozens of Florida politicians, including $ 350,000 to committees supporting Scott's candidacy in the US Senate and nearly $ 80,000 to Patronis, whose office oversees the elements of the Bureau of Insurance Regulation.

In January, the FBI subpoenaed the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation as part of the grand jury investigation in North Carolina.

Lorraine Woellert contributed to this story.