thehill | A House IT aide working for Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Fla.), the
former Democratic National Committee chairwoman, was arrested Tuesday
on bank fraud charges while trying to leave the country.
Fox News reported that Imran Awan was arrested at Dulles International Airport.
Awan, an IT staffer who has worked for many House Democrats and is
currently employed by Wasserman Schultz, was allegedly at the center of a
scheme that involved double-charging the House for IT equipment, and
may also have exposed House information online, according to Fox.
Awan
and his family have reportedly worked for House Democrats for years. He
declared bankruptcy in 2012, but has made millions of dollars on the
House payroll over at least a decade of work for various members,
according to a Politico report.
In March, a group of House Democrats fired Awan and one other staffer
over their alleged involvement in the scheme and the looming criminal
investigation. However, Fox News reported Tuesday that Wasserman Schultz
still has Awan on her staff's payroll despite him being barred
from accessing the House's computer system since February.
At the time, Reps. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) and Martha Fudge (D-Ohio) both defended Awan.
“As of right now, I don’t see a smoking gun,” Meeks told Politico in March. “I have seen no evidence that they were doing anything that was nefarious.”
