David Schweikert

In a conciliation agreement finalized January 11, 2022 (publicly released February 11, 2022), the Federal Election Commission fined Rep. David Schweikert's campaign $125,000. The campaign admitted misrepresenting the purpose and recipients of campaign payments between 2010 and 2017, with some funds converted to personal use (including expenses such as dry cleaning, child care, and flight upgrades). His former chief of staff and campaign manager, Oliver Schwab, who had submitted false consulting invoices to conceal the true purpose of disbursements, was separately fined $7,500 for failing to maintain records. Schweikert did not admit to the 'knowing and willful' characterization alleged by the FEC.

In FEC MUR 7923, the FEC determined that Schweikert's campaign committee knowingly and willfully violated federal campaign finance law over roughly 2010–2017. Specific findings included approximately $78,000 in disbursements with insufficiently detailed purpose entries (e.g., 'strategic consulting'), approximately $50,000 in disbursements where the payee was misreported (payments attributed to Schwab's personal credit card), and conversion of campaign funds to personal use (dry cleaning, child care, flight upgrades for personal travel, and similar personal expenses). Schwab had submitted false consulting invoices to conceal the true purpose of disbursements. The consent agreement was finalized January 11, 2022 and publicly announced February 2022.

Following a House Ethics Committee investigation opened in June 2018, Rep. David Schweikert admitted to 11 ethics violations covering a roughly seven-year period. The Committee found misuse of his official office allowance (MRA) for unofficial purposes, campaign finance reporting violations (including a falsely reported $100,000 loan that did not exist and an undisclosed $75,000 loan from Metro Phoenix Bank), pressuring congressional staff to perform campaign work, and a lack of candor and due diligence during the investigation. The Committee noted 'evasive, misleading, and stalling tactics.' On July 31, 2020, the full House reprimanded Schweikert by voice vote and he was fined $50,000. His former chief of staff and campaign manager Oliver Schwab was a central figure in the underlying conduct.