WASHINGTON - Federal agents have raided the offices of the District's single-largest contractor as part of a widening corruption probe.
ABC7 reports federal agents went though the offices of political donor Jeffrey Thompson and public relations consultant Jeanne Harris this week.
Thompson has been involved in financing the campaigns of several D.C. politicians, including Mayor Vincent Gray, Council Chairman Kwame Brown, and former Mayor Adrian Fenty. He is the owner of Chartered Health Plan, which holds a contract for Medicaid managed care. The Washington Post reports the contract is worth as much as $322 million.
Ward 5 at-large councilman Vincent Orange has also accepted contributions from Thompson.
"Every contribution is legal according to the law," Orange says.
He also says he has not taken any campaign donations from Thompson, or his associates, in his re-election campaign for the April 3 election.
The Washington City Paper reports Thompson gave $43,000 to Orange for his election bid last April.
The Post says federal agents raided Thompson's home and offices on Friday evening. Thompson has not commented on the latest developments.
Earlier, the Post reported Thompson's firms, and others with ties to Thompson, contributed several large money orders to the Gray campaign.
A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office in the District has said that no arrests were made in connection with the latest raids.
A federal corruption probe led to felony charges against Ward 5 D.C. Councilmember Harry Thomas Jr., who resigned and pleaded guilty in January in connection with the theft of more than $350,000 in taxpayer funds that was supposed to go toward activities for children.
Federal authorities are also looking into Mayor Gray's 2010 campaign fundraising.
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