Waechter Cuts Deal With FEC

BRADENTON – Former Sarasota County Republican Party Chairman Bob Waechter will pay $5,000 in civil penalties after agreeing to a legal settlement with the Federal Election Commission.

The former Take Back Our Government frontman and longtime political operative was accused of stealing a rival’s identity in order to make illegal federal campaign donations.

Waechter, 71, still faces up to five years in prison on felony fraud charges brought by the State Attorney's office.

Police say that they caught Waechter on videotape purchasing pre-paid debit cards that were then used to make donations in the name of fellow Republican Lourdes Ramirez of Siesta Key to multiple Democratic candidates, including President Obama and Congressional candidate Keith Fitzgerald, possibly to be used against her if she ran for office.

That case, originally scheduled for October was recently postponed. It is currently scheduled to begin on January 6 of 2014.