{"id":14291,"date":"2015-08-05T19:59:45","date_gmt":"2015-08-06T02:59:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=14291"},"modified":"2015-08-05T20:18:58","modified_gmt":"2015-08-06T03:18:58","slug":"rand-paul-super-pac-head-and-two-others-named-in-federal-indictment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=14291","title":{"rendered":"Rand Paul Super PAC Head and Two Others Named in Federal Indictment"},"content":{"rendered":"

IOWA<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

Three members of a 2012 presidential campaign committee, including the head of Rand Paul’s Super PAC, were charged with illegally concealing payments made to former Iowa State Senator\u00a0Kent Sorenson<\/strong>, according to a federal indictment<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Jesse<\/a>
Jesse R. Benton<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Jesse R. Benton<\/strong>, 37, of Louisville, Kentucky; John M. Tate<\/strong>, 53, of Warrenton, Virginia; and Dimitrios N. Kesari<\/strong>, 49, of Leesburg, Virginia, are charged by indictment with conspiracy, causing false records to obstruct a contemplated investigation, causing the submission of false campaign expenditure reports to the Federal Election Commission and engaging in a scheme to make false statements to the FEC.<\/p>\n

Benton<\/strong> is additionally charged with making false statements to the FBI, and Kesari is also charged with obstruction of justice.<\/p>\n

Benton<\/strong> and Tate<\/strong>\u00a0were top aides\u00a0to Ron Paul’s 2012 presidential campaign, and are now working to help his son Rand Paul’s \u00a0Republican presidential bid.<\/p>\n

The federal indictment unsealed Wednesday, the day before Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul is to appear onstage during the first debate of the 2016 campaign.<\/p>\n

Benton and Tate are leading America’s Liberty, a super PAC supporting Rand Paul’s presidential run<\/strong>, and Benton is married to Rand Paul’s niece, according to published reports.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am extremely disappointed in the government\u2019s decision,\u201d Ron Paul said in a statement Wednesday responding to the indictment, according to MSNBC<\/a>. \u201cI think the timing of this indictment is highly suspicious given the fact that the first primary debate is tomorrow. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of those involved. I will not be commenting further on this matter at this time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Late last year, in an interview an ABC affiliate in Kentucky, Rand Paul defended making Jesse Benton a part of his campaign: \u201cJesse is married to my niece and was a big help in the Kentucky election here in 2010 and a big help for Sen. McConnell. And, yes he\u2019ll help us,\u201d he said, according to MSNBC.<\/p>\n

MSNBC reported that Benton himself issued a statement after he resigned from the McConnell campaign, following the endorsement-pay-scheme allegations, which said in part:<\/p>\n

\u201cInaccurate press accounts and unsubstantiated media rumors about me and my role in past campaigns that are politically motivated, unfair and, most importantly, untrue. The press accounts and rumors are particularly hurtful because they are false. However, what is most troubling to me is that they risk unfairly undermining and becoming a distraction to this reelection campaign.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"former<\/a>
Former Iowa State Senator Kent Sorenson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On Aug. 27, 2014, Sorenson<\/strong> pleaded guilty to causing a campaign committee to falsely report its expenditures to the FEC and to obstruction of justice.\u00a0 He has not yet been sentenced.<\/p>\n

Kesari<\/strong> appeared in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa <\/strong>today.\u00a0 Benton<\/strong> and Tate<\/strong> are scheduled to appear on Sept. 3.<\/p>\n

\u201cFederal campaign finance laws are intended to ensure the integrity and transparency of the federal election process,\u201d said Assistant Attorney General Leslie Caldwell<\/strong>.\u00a0 \u201cWhen political operatives make under-the-table payments to buy an elected official\u2019s political support, it undermines public confidence in our entire political system.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wednesday’s indictment says that while Benton, Tate and Kesari were working for Ron Paul during the last campaign, they negotiated with then-Iowa State Sen. Kent Sorenson to switch his support from Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann<\/strong> to Ron Paul<\/strong> in exchange for money.<\/p>\n

MSNBC reported that Rand Paul’s 2016 campaign would not comment on the record about the indictment, but Ed Crane<\/strong>, the president of a separate pro-Rand Paul group said, “If I’ve ever had any concern about Rand, it’s with the people he has working with him.”<\/p>\n

This is what is alleged in Wednesday’s indictment:<\/strong><\/p>\n