The Iowa state Senate Ethics Panel voted to ask for a formal investigation of Rep. Michele Bachmann's (R-Minn.) former Iowa presidential campaign chairman, a move that could continue a rash of unfavorable headlines for the congresswoman and potentially damage her chances at reelection.

The panel voted on Wednesday to request a formal investigation of Iowa state Sen. Ken Sorenson (R), who was one of Bachmann's top surrogates in the state until he switched late in the campaign to back then-Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas).

Sorenson has been accused of stealing a private email list of homeschooling parents for campaign purposes, and for illegally receiving a salary from Bachmann's campaign while serving in the state senate.

While another former Bachmann staffer says she knew about the payments, that former staffer insisted that the campaign was told by Sorenson that he was allowed to receive them and blamed Sorenson for misleading them.

The back-and-forth between Sorenson and other former Bachmann staffers has been an unwanted distraction for her as she seeks to move past her failed presidential bid and renew ties with her Republican-leaning district.

Bachmann barely survived a tough challenge in 2012, winning by fewer than 5,000 votes, and is facing the same opponent this election. The ethics investigation has continued to create unhelpful local headlines — and now that it's progressing those are likely to continue.

The GOP is scrambling to close its voter data gap with the Democrats in time for the 2014 midterm elections. 

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) has endorsed Mark Sanford (R) for his old House seat in a statement focused on the former South Carolina governor's fiscal conservatism.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee is hammering Democratic nominee for Senate in Massachusetts Rep. Edward Markey for his long tenure in Congress, its first attack after Markey won the party's nomination.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) is highlighting his bipartisan outreach on behalf of the victims of Hurricane Sandy in the first television commercial of his reelection effort.

The center-right group American Action Network is making a major ad buy on Fox News to make the case to conservatives why immigration reform needs to happen, using clips of Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) arguing that that the current system allows for "de facto amnesty."

Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) sticks to his message of fiscal conservatism and frames the May 7 House special election as a nationalized battle "for the direction of our country" in his final campaign ad, ignoring his Democratic opponent and ripping House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) instead.

Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.) is planning a media tour through Georgia on Thursday and Friday and is expected to announce his Senate bid. Read more...

The Tea Party Leadership Fund wants Sarah Palin to challenge Sen. Mark Begich in 2014.