Posted on 02/14/2006 10:57:27 AM PST by fieldmarshaldj
Tue, Feb. 14, 2006
Fraud nets 15 months for ex-candidate Taff
Co-defendant gets five months in prison, $50,000 fine in scam
By ROBERT A. CRONKLETON The Kansas City Star
Adam Taff hesitated, drew a few breaths, glanced at the paper in his hands and began reading aloud what was, in effect, the obituary for a once-promising political career.
His own.
“I know what I did was wrong,” the former Kansas congressional candidate said Monday at sentencing in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kan.
Saying he had failed in his personal conduct by committing wire fraud and violating campaign finance laws, Taff apologized to his family — in particular, his mother — and his friends.
His voice cracked and wavered as he apologized to his wife.
Shortly thereafter, U.S. District Judge John W. Lungstrum sentenced Taff to 15 months in prison, saying that he had “debased the public’s trust.”
Lungstrum also sentenced co-defendant John D. Myers to five months in prison and a $50,000 fine for his role in a case of mortgage fraud.
In a brief interview following the hearing, Taff’s lawyer, Jim Eisenbrandt, said the sentence “was not totally unexpected.”
“The judge evaluated the case as best he could,” Eisenbrandt said. “Adam is going through a lot in his mind right now, and I’m sure at some appropriate time he’ll be glad to talk with you.”
He described his client as “remorseful. That’s what he said in the courtroom, and the judge understood that completely.”
Eisenbrandt said he had no idea when Taff would begin his sentence. Lungstrum said Taff was a good candidate for self-surrender, and Taff remained free on bond.
Asked whether he thought the penalty was fair, Eisenbrandt said: “It certainly is within the (federal sentencing) guidelines. It certainly is within the law. The judge certainly felt that it was fair.”
Myers, like Taff, had asked to avoid prison time.
“We are disappointed, but I know the judge did what he thought was right,” said Myers’ lawyer, J.R. Hobbs. Taff, 40, and Myers, 51, pleaded guilty in November to one count each of wire fraud that occurred when Myers sold Taff his house in Lake Quivira for $1.2 million.
Taff also pleaded guilty to one count of violating the Federal Election Campaign Act by misusing election money to obtain a mortgage loan for the home.
Lungstrum said that when the charges were first filed, he assumed that Taff had made a spur-of-the-moment error. But that was not the case. Lungstrum said Taff had planned to be dishonest from the beginning, going so far as to disregard his campaign manager’s warnings about personal use of campaign money. Taff’s campaign manager resigned after discovering what he had done.
Eisenbrandt had argued for no prison time. Instead, Taff sought a lesser sentence of 12 months, to be split between a halfway house and house arrest.
The case, Eisenbrandt said, stemmed from Taff’s desire to buy a house he could not afford and to help a friend.
Arguing that the fraud involved no actual or intended loss and that Taff had cooperated with authorities, Eisenbrandt said Taff had already paid a price for his conduct — including the probable end of his military and political careers and the loss of some of his freedom.
Leon Patton, an assistant U.S. attorney, said that while the case involved no monetary loss, there was tremendous damage to the public’s trust. Whenever a politician is indicted, he said, there is potential for people to claim it is politically motivated.
No matter what the court does in these cases, Patton said, the outcome will always be looked upon by some as being politically motivated.
U.S. Attorney Eric Melgren commended the work of the FBI. Jeff Lanza, an FBI spokesman, said the investigation took about nine months and was the third involving the agency in the metropolitan area to end in a conviction of a public official.
In December, former Jackson County Executive Bill Waris was sentenced to three years of probation for lying to investigators who were looking into contracting irregularities.
In October, former Kansas City Municipal Judge Deborah Neal was sentenced to more than two years in prison for soliciting loans from lawyers to fuel her gambling addiction.
Adam Taff off to the pokey *ping*
Do you think that he could be a cousin of ex-Governor Rowland of CT?
Too bad, I was supporting Taff in 2006. He's the most electable.
Taff in 2006: A candidate with conviction!
"Too bad, I was supporting Taff in 2006."
He doesn't go into too many details about his views in his website, but otherwise I liked what I saw.
It's incredible that Moore is still in office. If we can't beat him this time, maybe AG Kline can try again in 2008.
Kline could try, but I think he may be looking at the Governorship in 2010, unless a Republican managed to knock off Gilligan-Sebelius.
The problem is, had he won and been a sitting member of Congress, we'd have lost his seat over this stunt he pulled.
Johnny-O was making a funny. ;-D
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