▁called ▁the ▁National ▁Conference ▁of ▁Republican ▁County ▁Official s . ▁An ▁official ▁in ▁Ro ano ke ▁County , ▁Virginia , ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁conference ▁was ▁" a ▁working ▁arm ▁for ▁the ▁White ▁House ▁and ▁the ▁national ▁[ Rep ublic an ] ▁Party ." ▁E ck els ▁later ▁said ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁used ▁at ▁least ▁$ 2 0 , 0 0 0 ▁of ▁his ▁own ▁funds ▁for ▁Re agan - B ush ▁mail ings ▁and ▁did ▁not ▁report ▁the ▁exp end iture ▁to ▁the ▁Federal ▁E lection ▁Commission . ▁E ck els ▁died ▁less ▁than ▁a ▁year ▁after ▁Bush ▁became ▁the ▁U . S . ▁President .< ref > {{ cite ▁book | url = http :// tar ple y . net / online - books / ge orge - b ush - the - un author ized - bi ography / chapter - 2 2 - b ush - t akes - the - pres iden cy / | title = Web ster ▁Griff in ▁Tar ple y ▁et ▁al , ▁George ▁Bush : ▁The ▁Un author ized ▁Biography : ▁Chapter ▁ 2 2 ▁– ▁Bush ▁T akes ▁The ▁Pres iden cy , ▁fn 2 2 - p ast ▁fn 2 4 | publish er = tar ple y . net | access date = M arch ▁ 3 1 , ▁ 2 0 1 4 }} </ ref > ▁The ▁sevent een - year ▁commission er ▁was ▁conv icted ▁of ▁the ft ▁and ▁forced ▁to ▁res ign . ▁For ▁a ▁number ▁of