Feds Raid Home of Pennsylvania Rep. Weldon's Daughter

WASHINGTON – FBI agents raided the homes of Pennsylvania Rep. Curt Weldon's daughter and her business partner Monday as part of an investigation into whether the congressman helped them win lobbying and consulting contracts.

No federal agents were seen at the congressman's home or Capitol Hill office on Monday.

Karen Weldon is being investigated on allegations that she obtained $1 million in lobbying contracts from foreign clients with the help of her father, the 10-term congressman representing the Philadelphia suburbs.

"I can confirm that we conducted a number of searches regarding an ongoing investigation," Jerri Williams, an FBI special agent in Philadelphia, told FOX News. "Details regarding those investigation cannot be provided because the accompanying affidavit is sealed."

Agents searched Weldon's home in Center City Philadelphia; the Springfield home of Charles Sexton, her business partner and the congressman's close friend; and the office of their company, Solutions North America, in Media, Williams said.

Williams added that it was her understanding the operation was complete, and she did not expect any further action in the course of the next several days.

Another source familiar with the investigation confirmed to FOX News that warrants were executed Monday morning. The source acknowledged that the timing of the search seemed suspect, but said agents felt once news of the probe broke over the weekend, they had to speed up their plans.

A senior Justice Department official told the Associated Press that the FBI searched four locations in the Philadelphia area and two in Jacksonville, Fla.

According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, agents left Weldon's Philadelphia townhouse with several boxes. In Delaware County, agents left Sexton's house with at least one box and a bag of material.

Rep. Weldon, who speaks Russian and has long been noted for his expertise on foreign policy as vice chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, has long denied any wrongdoing in the case.

At a press conference Monday, Weldon said he had not been contacted by the Justice Department. He also denied aiding his daughter in obtaining clients.

"My daughter doesn't need my help," he said.

Weldon Chief of Staff Russ Caso said Weldon and his staff were "100 percent caught off guard" when they learned of the investigation, first reported late Friday by McClatchy Newspapers.

Caso, whose boss is in a tight race for re-election on Nov. 7 against Democrat Joe Sestak, tried to cast doubt on reports of the investigation.

"Unidentified sources mean nothing," Caso said. "There's no substance in that story. It's a flimsy story."

The Inquirer said Weldon, at an event in Philadelphia on Monday morning, called the investigation politically motivated, and blamed Melanie Sloan, director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, for filing a bogus complaint.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee sent out fliers last week to voters in Weldon's district accusing Karen Weldon of getting help from her father on lobbying projects.

Michael Puppio, Weldon's campaign manager, questioned the timing of the mailing and published reports about the investigation. He accused Democrats of "attempting to smear the congressman and his entire family" in the final weeks of the campaign.

Jen Psaki, a spokeswoman for the DCCC, said it's "bizarre, paranoid and absurd" for the Weldon campaign to imply there's a link in the timing of the mailing and the published reports.

FOX News' Ian McCaleb and The Associated Press contributed to this report.