HD 78: Dee Margo Interviewed By FBI

House Candidate Dee Margo (R-El Paso), who is taking on State Rep. Pat Haggerty (R-El Paso) in the March 4 GOP Primary, has confirmed that he was interviewed by the FBI in connection with an ongoing public corruption investigation two years ago:

FBI officials interviewed El Paso businessman and Republican Texas House candidate Dee Margo two years ago in connection with the ongoing investigation of alleged public corruption in the city, Margo said Wednesday.

Margo said he was asked about the charity group he helped found, the Border Fund, and a scheme that allegedly defrauded the Chicago-based foundation that supported the fund.

FBI agents, Margo said, made clear to him that neither he, nor the Border Fund, nor the Chicago-based McCormick Tribune Foundation were targets of the investigation.

“We’re about as pristine as you can get,” Margo said.

Court documents filed last year in connection with the investigation reveal that the FBI was investigating a free-rent scheme involving Hospice El Paso and its former leader Charles Roark, and NCED and its former leader Bob Jones.

“The issue of rent payment or nonpayment (also referred to as “pre-paid rent”) has become the focus for investigators regarding a wire fraud investigation of NCED, Bob Jones, and Roark in which a national, Chicago-based charity was defrauded,” the document states.

Jones and Roark have both been identified as targets of the FBI investigation.

Margo said had no knowledge of the alleged rent scheme until FBI officials came to his office.

“Whatever Roark and Jones were doing, that’s unfortunate, but our intent was strictly philanthropic benefit to various organizations,” Margo said.

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