No charges in case that roiled '08 Senate race
Former FBI director Louis Freeh says multiple investigations found no evidence of an illegal money-funneling scheme involving a businessman and former Republican Sen. Norm Coleman.
The allegations arose near the end of the 2008 campaign. A former executive of Nasser Kazeminy's Houston company accused Kazeminy of taking part in a scheme to send unreported contributions to Coleman through an insurance company that employed Coleman's wife.
Freeh, who is a private lawyer, was retained by Kazeminy to conduct one of the investigations. Freeh says he conducted a thorough probe into the relationship between Kazeminy and Coleman.
"And we concluded after that investigation, that the allegations -- particularly the allegation of the $100,000 payment -- was baseless and false," he said.
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Freeh says the Justice Department also investigated, and declined to file any criminal charges. After a lengthy recount, Coleman lost his re-election bid to Democrat Al Franken by 312 votes.
Former Sen. Coleman released a written statement welcoming the results of the investigation.
"The decision of the Department of Justice to close the file on false accusations made against me, my wife Laurie and my friend Nasser Kazeminy is welcomed, but not a surprise," said Coleman.
Freeh says he will not release the entire investigation to the public because more legal action may follow.