That sounds rather similar to what Dinesh D’Souza was imprisoned for, albeit on a much smaller scale. Curious to see how far down/up the societal hierarchy our somewhat new dual-tiered system of justice extends.
No. D'Souza knowingly reimbursed someone for making a contribution. It was a relatively trivial amount on behalf of a candidate, a personal friend, who had no chance of winning. D'Souza knew he was throwing his money away but wanted to support his friend's valiant though hopeless effort. So he arranged a straw man donation. This is clearly illegal.
The equity argument in D'Souza's case had to do with arbitrary and disproportionate punishment. Straw man donations are often made, but they are rarely prosecuted and are generally settled with an appropriate fine. The classic case is the wealthy man who makes the maximum contribution to a candidate ... as do his wife, all four children, his personal assistant, chauffer, housekeeper and cook, all the senior executives in his company, as well as the 13 year old neighbor girl who walks his dog and the 15 year old boy who mows his lawn. All of these people, of course, will assert if asked that they had made authentic, personal contributions with their own funds, when in reality they were all reimbursed in thinly disguised ways.
The whole area typically involves a lot of winks and nods, and slaps on the wrist when someone gets careless. Prosecutors threw the book at D'Souza and demanded jail time. It was clear a selective and vindictive prosecution.