Posted on 03/10/2014 2:17:23 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A leading District of Columbia businessman was charged on Monday in a campaign finance conspiracy that has tarnished the U.S. capital's Democratic mayor and overshadowed his bid for a second term.
The charges against Jeffrey Thompson, once a major government contractor, are a much-anticipated development in a federal investigation that began with an examination of Mayor Vincent Gray's 2010 campaign and then expanded.
Thompson is accused of conspiring to violate federal and local campaign finance laws and of submitting false reports to the Internal Revenue Service, according to a 10-page charging document. Thompson was scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court later Monday.
...
It said that, through his businesses, Thompson funneled about $669,000 in unreported funds to an unnamed candidate for mayor and the candidate's political action committee from May to September 2010.
Federal prosecutors have been looking into what they have called a "shadow campaign" organized to assist Gray's 2010 bid. Gray has denied wrongdoing but apologized to city residents in January.
Several people affiliated with Gray's campaign or Thompson have pleaded guilty in federal court in the last two years.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
ap thread
DC businessman Thompson charged with conspiracy
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3131674/posts
I realize EVERYTHING in DC is big bucks, but that is a non-trivial amount of influence buying...
I miss the good old corruption free days of my youth when Marion S. Barry was mayor.
no truth to rumor He’s ready for a comeback just as he prepares to leave his current office. weird city.. for sure.
78. wow.. he took a kicking and so did his lungs.
‘unreported funds’.. like maybe drug money or offshore dough getting laundered thru local politicians.. unless yur fartsack’s full, it ain’t worth messing worth.. chump change , maybe.. non-trivial, nyehhhh
A guy on local radio, Chris Plante has for the past few years referred to Mayor Gray as “future inmate” because this has been brewing since before Gray was inaugurated.
There is no way that this many people ran shadow campaigns for him and he had no idea.
This is DC politics. What did you expect, honesty? Come on. Marion “Mayor for life except for that jail term on cocaine possession/use” Barry set the low bar for DC political corruption and nearly everyone at the top has been able to bend over and meet it.
Trying to meet and beat Chicago’s corruption standards, and is coming close.
I pity the poor decent people of DC (District of Corruption). They haven’t got a chance.
WaPo 3/9/14
Gray knew of ‘shadow campaign,’ Thompson prosecutors say; mayor says, ‘These are lies’
oops should read 3/10/14
Just saw the fed prosecutor on TV. He was talking about how this guy is involved with dozens of state and federal elections, including $800,000 to an unnamed (read Hillary) 2008 presidential primary campaign, mostly in Texas.
This could turn out to sink Clinton. I hope she releases whatever she has on Obama in retaliation.
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