Thursday, 4:30 PM
Charged with shady business dealings, Romney fund-raiser resigns
By Ryan Haggerty, Globe Correspondent
Mitt Romney's presidential campaign said today it has accepted the resignation of a major fund-raiser who has been indicted in Maryland for allegedly shady business dealings.
Alan B. Fabian, 43, a Maryland businessman who was the co-chairman of the campaign's national finance committee, resigned this week, said Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom.
Federal prosecutors have charged Fabian with defrauding companies out of $32 million. He was indicted Wednesday by a Maryland grand jury on 23 counts, including mail fraud, money laundering, bankruptcy fraud, perjury and obstruction of justice, according to the Baltimore U.S. attorney's office.
Fabian had served as co-chair since January and had contributed the maximum amount of $2,300, Fehrnstrom said.
"We have accepted Mr. Fabian's resignation from his unpaid, volunteer position on the national finance committee, and we are returning his contribution to the campaign," Fehrnstrom said in an e-mail today.
Fabian faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for each of the nine counts of mail fraud; 10 years in prison for each of the nine counts of money laundering and one count of obstruction of justice; and five years in prison for each of the two counts of bankruptcy fraud and two counts of perjury.
David B. Irwin, Fabian's attorney, said, "We're very disappointed that they decided to file charges. We hope to get it resolved as soon as possible."
Ryan Haggerty can be reached at rhaggerty@globe.com.
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