The man at the center of a burgeoning fiscal scandal involving the National Republican Congressional Committee served as treasurer for dozens of political fundraising committees, and lawmakers are quickly distancing themselves from him.

At least 10 members of Congress have dropped Christopher J. Ward as treasurer of their re-election campaigns or political action committees.

Some committees said they had no complaints about Ward or his performance as fiduciary officer, but felt obliged to separate themselves from the problems at the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC).

That same dynamic could continue to play out in the weeks ahead. Ward served as treasurer for at least 32 committees in recent years. According to Federal Election Commission records, he remains an officer of record with most of them.

The FBI is investigating potential mismanagement of funds at the request of the NRCC. “We feel very strongly that until names are cleared or not, you can’t take a chance on it,” said Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., who dropped Ward as treasurer of his Battle Born PAC.

Battle Born PAC raised $423,932 last year and spent $474,365. Ward became treasurer March 29, 2006, and filed a year-end report on Jan. 23, 2008. After Cynthia Hampton became the new treasurer Feb. 12, she filed an amended year-end report eight days later.

A spokeswoman described the amendment as fixing routine bookkeeping errors unrelated to Ward.

Ward also was treasurer for Senate Majority Committee, a joint fundraising committee for six senators who are up for re-election this year.

Senate Majority Committee raised $214,500 last year. Ward was listed as treasurer from April 2006 to January 2008. The committee registered Hampton as its treasurer Feb. 12.

Ensign said he didn’t know Ward personally but had removed him in reaction to news coverage of the investigation. The committee is auditing its records to “make sure nothing was done wrong,” Ensign said.

“We’re just making sure, and that’s why we’re having a full-blown audit done on the whole thing,” he said.

Ward’s lawyer, Ronald Machen, declined to comment.

Other GOP political committees that have severed ties with Ward:

• Montana Rep. Denny Rehberg’s Building Our Opportunities Together committee;

• Pennsylvania Rep. Phil English’s Prosperity Helps Inspire Liberty PAC;

• New York Rep. James T. Walsh’s Commitment to Outstanding Leadership PAC;

• New York Rep. Peter T. King’s Know-How and Integrity in our Government PAC;

• Virginia Rep. Robert W. Goodlatte’s Good Fund;

• Texas Rep. Jeb Hensarling Jobs, Economy and Budget Fund;

• Puerto Rico Del. Luis Fortuño’s Leading Us in Success PAC

• Committee to Re-Elect Vito J. Fossella of New York.

Rehberg’s committee raised $15,000 last year and spent $9,510. Ward was treasurer from Feb. 22, 2006, to Jan. 18, 2008. Lorna Kuney became treasurer Jan. 18.

English’s PAC raised $155,585 last year and spent $129,957. Ward was treasurer from 2002 until Lisa Lisker took over on Feb. 7, 2008.

“I can tell you that upon hearing the NRCC news, immediate steps were taken to remove Mr. Ward as the treasurer,” said Julia Wanzco, spokeswoman for English. “When we did make the switch, there was no knowledge of any wrongdoing on his part.”

Fossella’s committee was the richest, apart from the NRCC, that Ward worked for. In 2007, the Fosella campaign raised $700,967 and spent $462,866.

“We have severed ties with this vendor as of last week and have hired a new accounting firm,” said Georgea Kay, spokeswoman for Fossella’s campaign.

Ward worked for Goodlatte’s PAC from January 2005 to February 2008. The PAC raised $184,636 last year and spent $151,806. He worked for the Walsh PAC from May 2005 to January 2008; for King’s PAC from April 2006 to January 2008; for Hensarling’s PAC from February 2006 to January 2008; and for Fortuño’s PAC from 2004 until Maria Sanchez Bras replaced him on Feb. 20, 2008.

Ward had been a longtime staff member for the NRCC, going on the payroll in November 1995 and serving as treasurer off and on from May 2003. He was paid $95,255 last year as a staff member through July and then a strategic-planning consultant after Aug. 3.

On Feb. 1, Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., the chairman of the NRCC, announced “irregularities in our financial audit process” that prompted an FBI investigation.

Rep. K. Michael Conaway, R-Texas, who is an accountant, sparked the investigation after becoming head of the NRCC’s internal audit committee last fall. Conaway said he asked repeatedly for a meeting with auditors without staff, but Ward canceled a January meeting just before it was to begin.

Conaway discovered that no audits had been conducted for years. “He was a trusted employee, somebody we put our faith and trust in,” Conaway said. “All we know is we have an audit issue.”

He said the committee has given the FBI’s forensic accountants “unfettered access to everything we’ve got.”

The FBI set no timetable for completing its investigation, Conaway said. “All of us are anxiously awaiting the results,” he said.

The previous NRCC chairman, Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds of New York, said he thought audits were being performed on a regular basis.

“It now appears over an extended period of time a long-serving, professional staff member may have put together an elaborate scheme resulting in financial irregularities that are currently under review,” Reynolds said.

Alex Knott, Greg Vadala and Molly Hooper contributed to this story.