The jury has returned across-the-board guilty verdicts in the federal conspiracy trial of three senior staffers from former Texas Congressman Ron Paul’s 2012 presidential campaign.
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They say they were targeted due to their conservative politics and argued campaigns typically don’t identify payments to subcontractors of vendors.
Prosecutors argued that the three paid former Senator Kent Sorenson through a third-party video production company in an effort to hide the payment.
A grand jury had indicted the three operatives on charges – first announced on August 5 – but a judge dismissed entirely the charges against Tate, and all but one were dropped against Benton before the trial in October. The aides argued that they broke no laws and were being “targeted due to their conservative politics” and that campaigns don’t typically itemize payments made to “subcontractors of vendors”.
Benton is married to Ron Paul’s granddaughter and used to serve as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) campaign manager.
Kesari’s attorney Jesse Binnall says there will be an appeal, as the staffers didn’t break law.
Government prosecutors say the men threw sand in the eyes of Iowa voters and made a mockery out of the truth.
Sorenson faces 25years in prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled. But within months of the first acquittal, Benton – who had run an underperforming super PAC supporting the campaign of Sen.
The chief strategist of a pro-Trump super PAC was convicted Thursday on felony charges for campaign finance violations.
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“It’s a political vendetta, what’s going on here”, said Ron Paul to reporters outside the courthouse. The conspirators concealed their campaign’s payments to Sorenson from their candidate and also from the FEC, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the public. Rand Paul in his re-election bid in November.
