Vern Buchanan

RepublicanU.S. Representative, FL-16

Age	75 (b. 1951-05-08)
Gender	Male
In office since	2007-01-04 (~19 yrs)
Race / ethnicity	White (partial Finnish ancestry — maternal grandparents immigrated from Finland)
Religion	Baptist
Education	B.S. in Business Administration, Cleary University (1975); M.B.A., University of Detroit (1986)
Prior occupation	Businessman; automotive dealer (owned car dealerships); entrepreneur
Military service	Yes: Michigan Air National Guard
Birthplace	Detroit, Michigan
Languages	English
Marital status	Married — Sandy Buchanan (m. 1976)
Children	2
Residence	Longboat Key, Florida

Wikipedia · Ballotpedia · OpenSecrets · Official site

Pending research: notable relatives · openly lgbtq.

Career & politics

First elected	2006
Previous offices	U.S. Representative, Florida's 13th Congressional District (2007–2013)
Committees	House Ways and Means Committee (Vice Chair) · Ways and Means Health Subcommittee (Chair) · Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee · Joint Committee on Taxation
Caucuses	Congressional Animal Protection Caucus (Co-Chair) · Congressional Preventive Health and Wellness Caucus (Co-Chair) · Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Caucus (Founding Member)
Leadership	Vice Chair, House Ways and Means Committee · Chair, Ways and Means Health Subcommittee
Ideology	Center-right/mainstream Republican; Heritage Action lifetime score 64%, session score 74%; rated most bipartisan Florida Republican by Lugar Center; U.S. Chamber of Commerce 100% score (2019)
Signature legislation	Veterans Identification Card Act (signed into law 2015) · Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (2017) — key Ways and Means contributor · Chronic Disease Flexible Coverage Act (H.R. 919) — passed House unanimously · Hospital Inpatient Services Modernization Act (H.R. 4313)

Financial

Net worth: disclosed + (2015) · estimate

Automotive Investments	business_owned · $80,000,001 · 2014
Sarasota 500 LLC	business_owned · $50,000,001 · 2014
Real Estate holdings	real_estate · $36,000,500 · 2014
600 LC auto dealer operation	business_owned · $15,000,000 · 2014

Top donors: Health Professionals (PAC/industry) ($209,732) · Select Medical Corp ($43,200)

Top industries: Health Professionals · Health Services/HMOs · Automotive · Real Estate · Finance/Insurance

Scandals & crimes ledger

resolved — Central Franchise Group (Paul Simon) Breach of Contract Judgment Against American Speedy Printing business

financial/corruption · 1990-01-01 · Paul Simon, a master franchisee who ran American Speedy's Central Franchise Group, sued the company after Buchanan allegedly failed to honor a personal promise to buy back Simon's failing franchise territory when Simon sought to exit. The dispute centered on whether Buchanan, then American Speedy's chairman, president and CEO, had made a binding personal commitment to repurchase the territory. In January 1992, a court entered a judgment of more than $816,000 against American Speedy Printing Centers Inc. in the case; the judgment was quickly followed by the company's Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing days later. · Court judgment of more than $816,000 entered against American Speedy Printing Centers Inc.; the company filed for bankruptcy shortly afterward, which affected collection.

A Michigan-area master franchisee's breach-of-contract suit over a territory buyback promise resulted in a January 1992 court judgment of more than $816,000 against Buchanan's company, American Speedy Printing, immediately preceding the company's bankruptcy filing.

Sources: Sarasota Herald-Tribune

resolved — American Speedy Printing Creditors' Committee Suit — Michigan Business Corporation Act Violation Settlement

financial/corruption · 1994-01-01 · American Speedy Printing Centers Inc., the franchising company Buchanan founded and led as chairman/CEO before entering politics, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in February 1992 after a period of rapid, debt-fueled expansion through master franchise sales. In early 1994, the company's bankruptcy creditors' committee sued Buchanan, Merrill Lynch Interfunding (which had extended Buchanan a $15.4 million loan secured by his American Speedy stock), and other parties, alleging among other things that dividends paid by American Speedy — used by Buchanan to cover interest on that loan — violated the Michigan Business Corporation Act, and accusing Buchanan of taking excessive compensation and actions that overstated the company's earnings. The suit was settled in late 1999. · Buchanan agreed to repay $1.5 million characterized in the settlement as "excessive compensation," while denying the remaining allegations in the suit. No admission of liability on the broader claims was made.

A creditors' committee lawsuit tied to the 1992 bankruptcy of Buchanan's former company, American Speedy Printing, alleged that dividend payments used to service Buchanan's Merrill Lynch loan violated Michigan corporate law; the case was settled in 1999 with Buchanan repaying $1.5 million in disputed compensation while denying other allegations.

Sources: Sarasota Herald-Tribune · Wikipedia

resolved — FEC MUR 6054: Venice Nissan (1099 LC) and Donald Caldwell Conciliation — Buchanan-Owned Dealership Straw Donors business

campaign-finance · 2005-01-01 · Federal Election Commission · Conciliation agreement reached; file closed. 1099 LC d/b/a Venice Nissan and Donald M. Caldwell admitted violations of 2 U.S.C. §§441f and 441a(a).

Venice Nissan (1099 LC) and its representative Donald M. Caldwell entered into a conciliation agreement with the FEC in August 2010 admitting to arranging illegal conduit contributions to Vern Buchanan for Congress in violation of the Federal Election Campaign Act. Buchanan held an ownership interest in this dealership. The file was closed upon agreement.

Sources: Federal Election Commission (FEC)

resolved — FEC MUR 6054: Vern Buchanan for Congress Campaign Committee Fined for Straw-Donor Contributions

campaign-finance · 2006-01-01 · Federal Election Commission · Reason to Believe finding issued; $5,000 civil penalty paid; no further action. FEC found RTB that the committee knowingly/willfully received illegal conduit contributions but declined to pursue further after payment. File closed.

CREW filed an FEC complaint in 2008 alleging that employees of three car dealerships in which Buchanan held ownership interests were reimbursed for contributions to Vern Buchanan for Congress in violation of the Federal Election Campaign Act (2 U.S.C. §§441f and 441a). The FEC issued a Reason to Believe finding against the Vern Buchanan for Congress committee and assessed a $5,000 civil penalty, which was paid. The FEC declined to find that Buchanan personally directed or was aware of the scheme, and closed the file with no further action.

Sources: Federal Election Commission (FEC) · PolitiFact · Washington Post

resolved — FEC Civil Suit — FEC v. Kazran: Default Judgment Against Hyundai of North Jacksonville for Straw-Donor Contributions business

campaign-finance · 2006-01-01 · U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida (Federal Election Commission as plaintiff) · Default judgment entered against 11-2001 LLC d/b/a Hyundai of North Jacksonville on March 8, 2012. Sam Kazran separately settled with FEC for $5,000. The court found the defendants violated 2 U.S.C. §§441f and 441a(a) by funneling $67,900 in illegal straw-donor contributions to Vern Buchanan for Congress.

The FEC filed suit in December 2010 against Sam Kazran and 11-2001 LLC d/b/a Hyundai of North Jacksonville — a dealership in which Buchanan owned a majority stake until 2008 — for arranging $67,900 in illegal conduit contributions to Vern Buchanan for Congress across the 2006 and 2008 election cycles. Kazran admitted to arranging the reimbursements and claimed Buchanan directed him to do so; Buchanan denied knowledge. A default judgment was entered against the LLC on March 8, 2012. The FEC closed the investigation of Buchanan personally with no further action, citing insufficient evidence he directed the scheme.

Sources: Federal Election Commission (FEC) · CNN Politics · CBS News

resolved — FEC MUR 6054: Suncoast Ford (10-2002 LLC) and Gary Scarbrough Conciliation — Buchanan-Owned Dealership Straw Donors business

campaign-finance · 2007-01-01 · Federal Election Commission · Pre-probable cause conciliation agreements reached. 10-2002 LLC (Suncoast Ford) fined $7,000; Gary J. Scarbrough fined $8,500. Both admitted to arranging reimbursements of employee campaign contributions to Vern Buchanan for Congress.

Suncoast Ford (10-2002 LLC), a car dealership in which Buchanan held an ownership interest, and its representative Gary J. Scarbrough entered into pre-probable cause conciliation agreements with the FEC in December 2011 for arranging illegal conduit contributions to Vern Buchanan for Congress in violation of 2 U.S.C. §§441f and 441a(a). The LLC was fined $7,000 and Scarbrough was fined $8,500.

Sources: Federal Election Commission (FEC) · CNN Politics

resolved — House Ethics Committee Investigation: Campaign Finance Conduit Contributions and Witness Tampering Allegations (2012–2016)

ethics-violation · 2012-01-01 · U.S. House Committee on Ethics · Committee unanimously voted to take no further action; file closed June 23, 2016. Committee found the three dealerships partly owned by Buchanan did illegally reimburse employees for campaign contributions, but found insufficient evidence Buchanan knew or directed the scheme. Also found insufficient evidence he attempted to improperly influence witness Sam Kazran's FEC testimony. Committee issued a formal caution to Buchanan to 'exercise more diligence over affairs related to his campaign.'

Following OCE referrals, the House Ethics Committee opened a formal investigation in 2012 into allegations that (1) Buchanan's car dealerships illegally reimbursed employees for campaign contributions, and (2) Buchanan attempted to induce former business partner Sam Kazran to sign a false affidavit for the FEC in exchange for a $2.9 million settlement. After a four-year inquiry, the Committee issued House Report 114-643 in June 2016 finding insufficient evidence to conclude Buchanan personally violated House rules, while formally noting that the associated dealerships did engage in illegal reimbursements. The Committee issued a formal caution but took no disciplinary action.

Sources: U.S. House Committee on Ethics (GovInfo) · Roll Call · The Hill

resolved — FEC Administrative Fine #4854: Vern Buchanan for Congress — Failure to File 48-Hour Notification (2024 Cycle)

campaign-finance · 2024-01-01 · Federal Election Commission · Initial penalty of $9,242 assessed March 3, 2025; upheld on appeal May 9, 2025; paid in full by June 12, 2025.

The FEC assessed a $9,242 administrative fine against Vern Buchanan for Congress (committee ID C00412759, treasurer David T. Meredith) for failing to timely file a required 48-hour notification report during the 2024 election cycle. The initial fine was assessed on March 3, 2025, upheld following review on May 9, 2025, and paid in full by the June 12, 2025 due date.

Sources: Federal Election Commission (FEC)