Posted on 09/18/2019 8:29:36 PM PDT by ransomnote
Kelley Rogers, who raised millions with red-meat conservative pitches but spent little on politics, admits he cheated donors.
In one of the first Justice Department cases of its kind, Maryland political consultant Kelley Rogers pled guilty to wire fraud on Tuesday for operating multiple fraudulent political action committees that raised money from donors for conservative causes but kept much of the funds for Rogers and his associates.
Rogers’ arrest and indictment took place shortly after Politico and ProPublica investigated one of Rogers’ PACs, Conservative Majority Fund, which since 2012 has raised close to $10 million — mostly from small-dollar donors, many of them elderly -- while giving out just $48,400 to politicians.
Court documents state Rogers raised millions of dollars using “materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises” in his solicitations to donors, made up fake bills for the PACs, including Conservative Majority Fund, and made false disclosures about them to the Federal Election Commission.
“Rogers swindled millions of dollars from individuals attempting to participate in our democratic process,” said Timothy R. Slater, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, which was involved in the investigation into Rogers. “Instead of using donations to provide assistance and support to military veterans, as he advertised, Rogers used the money to benefit himself and his associates.”
SNIP
Rogers, his consulting firm and a PAC he operated called the Conservative StrikeForce were sued in 2014 by Ken Cuccinelli, a Republican candidate for governor in Virginia who now serves as acting director of citizenship and immigration services in the Trump administration. Cuccinelli’s suit alleged that Rogers raised more than $2 million by claiming he was assisting the Republican’s campaign but spent almost nothing to support it. In 2017, the FBI raided Rogers’ Annapolis, Maryland, office. The criminal charges against Rogers stemmed from his involvement in the 2013 Virginia elections.
What a stupid moron. Raised $10 million. All he had to do was put $1 million towards campaigns and they would have left him alone. God knows the Tea Party Patriots and Even SarahPac spent a tiny percentage on actual campaigns. But $48,000??? Insanity.
LOL
48k out of 10 million!! :)
You’re right. Some accounting BS and you may get away with a dime on the dollar.
But a half of one percent is going to raise eyebrows :)
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