[zip]

and to make $1,000 in restitution to the Democratic State Committee

This was the only mention of a political party in the entire article. I guarantee that if it were a Republican involved, MSM would be hysterical.

[expatpat]

he would have to pay $20,000 in cash and $20,000 in political contributions to a state political committee to receive a favorable price

Yeah, this is typical -- "a state political committee". If it had been Republicans, do you think they would have employed this awkward usage?