IndyStar: ‘I plead guilty’: Former Indiana GOP Sen. Brent Waltz admits role in straw donor scheme
ICYMI: GOP Councilman faces perjury, theft, and voter fraud charges
What does INGOP Chairman Kyle Hupfer have to say about his Party’s hypocrisy?
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Democratic Party, the organization that advocates for the future of Indiana and its families, today criticized the Indiana Republican Party for blatantly violating election laws three times in just a year. These errors come despite the Indiana GOP passing an “election integrity” law during this year’s session and politicians like Todd Rokita claiming the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Donald Trump.
Brent Waltz (former State Senator) pled guilty this week to depositing $40,500 in illegal contributions to his failed Congressional campaign. Waltz is faced with jail time and now joined other Republicans like Mike Braun (U.S. Senator) and Brian Young (Pulaski County Councilman) who have ignored laws to win elections and fulfill the Indiana GOP’s greater partisan agenda. Young also alleged he informed the previous and current Republican county chairs that he was breaking election law – and they still cleared him to run.
Waltz’s guilty plea is another example of the Indiana Republican Party putting their partisanship ahead of Indiana’s future. What does INGOP Chairman Kyle Hupfer have to say about his Party’s hypocrisy?
In contrast, Indiana Democrats are hard at work delivering the kitchen-table issues most important to Hoosier families. With the American Rescue Plan and The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (The Jobs Act), André Carson, Frank Mrvan, and statehouse Democrats are creating good-paying jobs, supporting Indiana’s law enforcement, funding public education at levels not seen in a decade, expanding broadband access, and revitalizing the state’s infrastructure systems. Democrats are ignoring the Indiana GOP’s partisanship and standing by Hoosiers when it matters most.
IndyStar: ‘I plead guilty’: Former Indiana GOP Sen. Brent Waltz admits role in straw donor scheme
Former state Sen. Brent Waltz admitted in federal court Monday that he participated in a scheme to funnel $40,500 in illegal contributions to his failed campaign for Congress in 2015.
Under an agreement with prosecutors, Waltz pleaded guilty to making and receiving conduit contributions and making false statements to the FBI. The plea agreement comes just one week before Waltz and John Keeler, another former lawmaker turned casino executive, were scheduled to go to trial.
Prosecutors say the illegal campaign contributions were fueled with cash from one of Indiana’s largest casino operators, Centaur Gaming. To hide the true source of the contributions, the money was funneled through a Maryland political consultant under a sham consulting agreement. The consultant and Waltz then used that money to reimburse more than a dozen “straw donors” who contributed to Waltz’s campaign for U.S. House, according to prosecutors.
Federal election law prohibits making or receiving donations in someone else’s name and limits contributions to $2,900 per election.
The two charges each carry a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison, but Waltz is likely to receive significantly less time under the plea deal. Prosecutors agreed to recommend a sentence at the low end of the sentencing advisory range.
Waltz was initially charged with several other counts, but they will be dismissed as part of the plea agreement. Sentencing has not been scheduled yet.
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