{"id":16160,"date":"2015-10-02T13:17:14","date_gmt":"2015-10-02T20:17:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=16160"},"modified":"2015-10-02T13:17:14","modified_gmt":"2015-10-02T20:17:14","slug":"ohio-lobbyist-guilty-of-extorting-red-light-camera-business-for-political-campaigns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=16160","title":{"rendered":"Ohio Lobbyist Guilty of Extorting Red-Light-Camera Business for Political Campaigns"},"content":{"rendered":"

OHIO<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
\"John
John P. Raphael<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

An Ohio lobbyist plead guilty today to extortion in connection with a bribery and fraud scheme involving contributions to the campaigns of elected officials in exchange for lucrative contracts with the cities of Columbus and Cincinnati, according to officials.<\/span><\/p>\n

John P. Raphael,<\/strong> 60, of Columbus, Ohio, agreed to plead guilty to a one-count information charging him with a violation of the Hobbs Act<\/strong>, officials said.<\/span><\/p>\n

The case is being investigated by the FBI, the IRS and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Raphael was a consultant and lobbyist based in Columbus. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

From March 2005 to February 2013, \u00a0officials said Redflex Traffic Systems<\/strong>, a red light camera enforcement company contacted Raphael to seek and obtain lucrative contracts with the cities of Columbus and Cincinnati. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

During that time, according to admissions made in his plea, Raphael conveyed to the company specific solicitations for campaign contributions on behalf of elected officials in Columbus and Cincinnati. He repeatedly pressured and induced the company to make contributions by advising the company that it would lose its contracts if it did not.<\/span><\/p>\n

Raphael admitted that the red light camera enforcement company made over $70,000 in campaign contributions, which were funneled through Raphael in his own name and in the names of his family members, friends and business associates, officials said.<\/span><\/p>\n

The former chief executive officer of the red light camera vendor, Karen L. Finley<\/strong>, plead guilty to conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery and honest services wire and mail fraud.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Finley of Cave Creek, Arizona admitted in federal court that through her former company, Redflex Traffic Systems<\/strong>, she funneled campaign contributions to officials in the two cities between 2005-13, according to a U.S. Justice Department news release.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

OHIO An Ohio lobbyist plead guilty today to extortion in connection with a bribery and fraud scheme involving contributions to the campaigns of elected officials in exchange for lucrative contracts with the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6172,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,3],"tags":[307,268,1701,1702],"class_list":["post-16160","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-home-main-slider","category-u-s-department-of-justice","tag-bribery","tag-extortion","tag-ohio-bureau-of-criminal-investigation","tag-redflex-traffic-systems"],"yoast_head":"\nLobbyist Guilty of Extorting Business for Lucrative City Contracts<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"An Ohio lobbyist plead guilty today to extortion in connection with a bribery and fraud scheme involving contributions to political campaigns of elected 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