Daily Kos Elections Morning Digest: Key witness in David Rivera investigation disappears

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' FL-26: Uh, wtf?

A key witness in the federal investigation against U.S. Rep. David Rivera failed to show up for an interview with prosecutors and FBI agents, and her family says they are worried of her whereabouts.

Ana Alliegro, a campaign manager for former Democratic congressional candidate Justin Lamar Sternad, is at the center of the federal probe of Sternad and Rivera. FBI agents are investigating whether the Republican congressman used Alliegro to secretly fund Sternad's primary race against Rivera's longtime rival, Joe Garcia. Garcia easily won the Aug. 14 primary.

Alliegro never showed up to give a statement to investigators. She had been scheduled to testify Thursday before a federal grand jury in Fort Lauderdale, but her lawyer Mauricio Padilla worked out a deal to speak directly to investigators.

But if you read on, you'll find that Alliegro's mother, who claims she is "very worried," hasn't bothered to file a missing persons report. (And if this is your first introduction to this latest Rivera caper, click through for a thorough backgrounder to the entire story at the Miami Herald.)