3 Top Rand Paul Associates Were Just Indicted

[swag]

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/08/3-rand-paul-associates-indicted-kent-sorenson

Russ Choma

After years of investigation by the Department of Justice, three top Rand Paul associates, including the senator's nephew-in-law, were indicted for their role in an alleged attempt to buy an influential Iowa state senator's endorsement of Ron Paul during his 2012 presidential campaign. None of these operatives, who served as top Ron Paul campaign aides, are currently on the payroll of Rand Paul's presidential campaign. But two of them—Jesse Benton, who is married to Paul's niece, and John Tate—run pro-Rand Paul super-PACs that have together raised $5 million to support Paul's presidential campaign. The third man indicted, Dimitri Kesari, has served as an aide to both Rand Paul and his father.

Last year, former Iowa state senator Kent Sorenson (R) pleaded guilty to campaign finance charges accusing him of helping to cover up a scheme for the Ron Paul campaign to pay him more than $70,000 to switch his endorsement immediately before the 2012 Iowa caucus, from Michele Bachmann to Ron Paul. Sorenson has been awaiting sentencing pending his cooperation in a further investigation, but it hasn't been clear who on Ron Paul's staff would be caught up in the scandal. At the time Benton served as the campaign's chairman, Tate as the campaign manager, and Kesari as the deputy campaign manager.

All three men were charged with criminal conspiracy and federal charges related to falsification of government records. Tate and Benton face charges of making false statements to federal investigators; Kesari was indicted on one count of obstruction of justice for allegedly trying to persuade Sorenson to deny the scheme when pressed by prosecutors.

According to the indictment, Sorenson negotiated with the Paul aides and eventually met with Kesari in an Iowa restaurant, where the Paul aide passed him a $25,000 check. The check was never cashed, however, and eventually wound up in the hands of an Iowa special prosecutor investigating a possible breach in ethics rules by Sorenson. Under federal law, the campaign could have legally paid Sorenson openly, but Iowa Senate rules prohibit lawmakers from receiving compensation for their endorsements. According to prosecutors, the campaign instead routed the payments through a Maryland audio visual company connected to Kesari's brother. During the course of the Iowa investigation, Sorenson acknowledged receiving $73,000 from the Maryland company, but couldn't explain why that was. Paul campaign records show the campaign paid the Maryland company roughly $82,000. Though Sorenson pleaded guilty to taking the money and lying to investigators about where it came from, his indictment did not name who authorized the payments.

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[merrily]

1. Oooohhhh This is a good read, indeed.

Is it wrong of me to relish it?

[gregcrawford]

9. No...

... schadenfreude is permitted!

[merrily]

10. Good to know!

I was referring to the fact that they've only been indicted, not convicted.

Innocent until proven guilty beyond a shadow of a doubt and all that.

IOW, is my schadenfreude revel too premature for a decent liberal?

[shenmue]

2. Yay!

[Blue Owl]

3. For Rand Larceny?

n/t

[FSogol]

4. DUzy!

[underpants]

5. Add this the list. Former social media director and ghost writer Jack Hunter

From 1999 to 2012, Hunter was a South Carolina radio shock jock known as the “Southern Avenger.” He has weighed in on issues such as racial pride and Hispanic immigration, and stated his support for the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln.
During public appearances, Hunter often wore a mask on which was printed a Confederate flag.

Prior to his radio career, while in his 20s, Hunter was a chairman in the League of the South, which “advocates the secession and subsequent independence of the Southern States from this forced union and the formation of a Southern republic.”

[RoccoR5955]

6. When does Rand get indicted? n/t

[Scuba]

7. It was just an innocent mistake by an overzealous staffer. The Paul campaign ...

... has now thrown someone under the bus so it's over. And besides, IOKIYAR.

[Gothmog]

8. Rand Paul was never going to be the GOP nominee

[SoapBox]

11. Good.

He's a skeezy little slime bag....makes my skin crawl.