MADISON, WIS. ? The FBI is investigating the national Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee in connection with the state Capitol scandal that led to extortion charges against a state senator, officials said Thursday.

Milwaukee County Assistant Dist. Atty. David Feiss said he had turned over information to the FBI concerning allegations he included in a criminal complaint filed against Sen. Chuck Chvala, D-Madison.

Feiss said he also forwarded information to the FBI about allegations that Chvala directed supporters to send money to the Kansas Democratic Party that was allegedly redirected back to Wisconsin.

The investigation was first reported in Thursday’s editions of The Washington Post, which said the FBI is looking into whether the campaign committee violated federal money-laundering laws.

Chvala pleaded not guilty in March to 19 felony counts, including extortion, that resulted from an ongoing investigation into corruption in the Capitol and allegations that lawmakers used staff members to illegally campaign on state time. A trial is scheduled for October.

Feiss said he has provided the FBI with information about donations Wisconsin contributors gave to the national Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee that were allegedly returned to the state.

The national committee, made up of Democratic state legislators, was established to promote Democratic control of state legislatures nationwide.

The district attorney’s office gave the information to the FBI because the allegations involve violations of federal laws, which the state has no jurisdiction to investigate or prosecute, Feiss said.

The complaint showed Wisconsin contributors donated to the national committee with the expectation some money would return to the state.

Campaign finance reports show the committee gave Independent Citizens for Democracy $292,000 during the fall of 2000, the complaint said.

Prosecutors allege that Chvala secretly used the Madison-based political action committee to fund campaigns of vulnerable Senate Democrats.