Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe has canceled an appearance on behalf of Ohio Senate candidate Ted Strickland, just a few days after CNN reported the longtime Clinton confidant was the subject of a federal investigation.
McAuliffe had been scheduled to headline a June 2 fundraiser for Strickland, but scrapped his appearance.
“Governor McAuliffe will no longer be attending this event,” Strickland campaign spokesman David Bergstein said Thursday. A McAuliffe spokesman did not immediately return a request for comment Thursday afternoon.
Bergstein noted the fundraiser — which was planned before news of the federal investigation was broken — was still happening.
McAuliffe’s service as a board member of the Clinton Global Initiative and campaign donations are included in the investigation according to law enforcement sources who spoke with CNN. But there is no allegation the Clinton charity did anything wrong.
In particular, a $120,000 donation from Chinese businessman Wang Wenilang has drawn the attention of investigators.
McAuliffe lawyer James W. Cooper confirmed to CNN that McAuliffe was being investigated, but said FBI investigators are looking at his time as a private citizen, before he ran for governor, and said the investigation has nothing to do with either Wang or the Clinton foundation.
McAuliffe has denied any wrongdoing.
Strickland is locked in a tight battle with Ohio Sen. Rob Portman that could decide whether Democrats or Republicans win control of the Senate in November.