Wasserman Schultz defends decision to keep IT aide on payroll

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) on Thursday defended her decision to keep IT aide Imran Awan on her staff months after she was informed he was under investigation for fraud.

Awan, who was arrested at Dulles International Airport last week allegedly trying to flee the country, is charged with mortgage fraud for listing a rental property as a “principal residence” while attempting to secure a line of homeowner equity credit.

Wasserman fired him following the arrest but had been informed that he was under investigation months earlier and remained the only lawmaker to keep Awan on staff. The aide was fired by several other House Democrats when the investigation was made known.

{mosads}The former Democratic National Committee chairwoman told the Orlando Sun Sentinel that Awan’s arrest on charges of mortgage fraud had nothing to do with an investigation into “procurement violations and data transfer violations,” arguing that she kept him on staff over concerns that Awan’s civil rights were being violated because he is Muslim.

“I had grave concerns about his due process rights being violated,” she told the paper. “When their investigation was reviewed with me, I was presented with no evidence of anything that they were being investigated for. And so that, in me, gave me great concern that his due process rights were being violated. That there were racial and ethnic profiling concerns that I had.”

Wasserman Schultz denied that Awan was trying to “flee,” citing his family that lives in Pakistan.

“He is from Pakistan. … He’s an American, a naturalized American citizen,” she said. “When you’re trying to flee, you don’t fill out a form with your employer and go on unpaid leave.”

He is also involved in a separate investigation. Fox News reported last week that Awan was allegedly at the center of a scheme that involved double-charging the House for IT equipment, and may also have exposed House information online.

Awan and his family have reportedly worked for House Democrats for years. He declared bankruptcy in 2012, but has made millions of dollars on the House payroll over at least a decade of work for various members, according to a Politico report.