Politico has linked I.S. Rep. Mark Walker, R-6th, to a corruption scandal that led to the indictment of the state Republican Party chair, the Chatham County Republican Party chair, and two Triangle businessmen.

“Representative Walker is not and has never been a target of the investigation, and he is assisting their investigation,” said Jack Minor, spokesman for the congressman, who represents Alamance County.

The U.S. Department of Justice charged four men with bribery and corruption March 18 in an indictment unsealed Tuesday, April 2, alleging they offered “millions of dollars in campaign contributions and other things of value” to State Commissioner of Insurance Mike Causey to get him to remove a senior deputy commissioner who oversaw the business of Greg Lindberg, who is charged in the indictment. Causey reported the offer to federal law enforcement in January 2018.

Walker is not identified in the indictment, but Politico claims to have identified him as the indictment’s “Public Official A” by cross referencing a $150,000 campaign contribution mentioned in an email among three of the indicted men to a donation reported to the Federal Election Commission.

“The February 2018 contribution that article cites went to the Republican National Committee and didn’t benefit the congressman’s campaign,” Minor said.

The indictment charges Greg E. Lindberg, 48, of Durham, John D. Gray, 68, of Chapel Hill, N.C. GOP Chair Robert Cannon Hayes, 73, of Concord, and John V. Palermo, 63, of Pittsboro with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, and aiding and abetting. Hayes is charged also with three counts of lying to the FBI.

In what Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski called a “brazen bribery scheme,” Lindberg and his co-defendants are charged with offering hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions in exchange for “official action that would benefit Lindberg’s business interests,” between April 2017 and August 2018, according to a letter the DOJ published Tuesday.

The DOJ alleges the co-defendants tried to get Causey to remove a deputy insurance commissioner who Lindberg claimed was hurting his business and reputation, and vouch for Lindberg with insurance commissioners in other states where he was trying to “complete acquisitions,” according to the indictment.

“[Public Official A]” appears on page 6 of the 23-page indictment. Text messages between Gray and Palermo between Feb. 1 and 4, 2018, refer to a contribution to Public Official A being on hold, and the possibility of his having a conversation with the commissioner.

A text Feb. 5, 2018, between Gray and Lindberg said he had spoken to Public Official A by phone. Lindberg made a $150,000 contribution to a committee benefiting the official the same day, according to the indictment.

On Feb. 7, 2018, Public Official A called the commissioner “to explain that Lindberg was doing good things for North Carolina businesses,” according to the indictment.

On Feb. 12, 2018, Palermo wrote an email to Lindberg and Gray stating, “Just between the three of us … [Public Official A] has already made two calls on our behalf and is trying to help us move the ball forward. I was also told that the $150K will be going to [Public Official A],” according to the indictment.

An FEC filing shows a receipt from the Mark Walker Victory Committee to Greg Lindberg for a $150,000 contribution received Feb. 17, 2018. Minor said that committee was a joint committee with the Republican National Committee, and those funds went to the RNC.

Reporter Isaac Groves can be reached at igroves@thetimesnews.com or 336-506-3045. Follow him on Twitter at @tnigroves.

Federal indictment of Greg E. Lindberg, Robert Cannon Hayes, John D. Gray, John V. Palermo Jr.:

Full Federal Election Commission filing of Mark Walker's Victory Committee: