BREAKING, BREAKING: Three Ron Paul Operatives Have Been Indicted

Ron Paul Inc. operatives Jesse Benton, John Tate and Dimitri Kesari  have been indicted,

This is a developing story. Return to this post for updates.

UPDATE 1:

Jesse Benton, currently raising money for the Rand Paul sanctioned America's Liberty PAC, has been indicted on charges of "conspiracy, causing false records to obstruct a contemplated investigation, causing the submission of false campaign expenditure reports to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and engaging in a scheme to make false statements to the FEC."

John Tate, the founder of America's Liberty PAC, and Dimitrios Kesari, a deputy national campaign manager during Ron Paul's 2012 presidential campaign, were also indicted.

According to the Department of Justice, Tate, Benton and Kesari all engaged in a pay-for-endorsement scheme during Ron Paul's 2012 presidential run. The Iowa state lawmaker at the center of the alleged scandal, Kent Sorenson, pleaded guilty to related charges 2014.

Sorenson had initially endorsed Republican presidential contender and then Rep. Michele Bachmann, but according to court documents was approached to switch his endorsement in 2011. The DOJ charges that he was paid "in monthly installments of approximately $8,000 each and ultimately amounted to over $70,000."

In order to try and escape scrutiny, the DOJ alleges that payments to Sorenson were recorded as "as campaign-related audio-visual expenditures" to Grassroots Strategy to Film Production Company. Then the money was transferred from film group to another business that Sorenson owned.

UPDATE 2

Full DOJ Press Release on Indictment of Jesse Benton, Dmitri Kesari and John Tate

UPDATE 3

POLITICO: Benton Indictment Could Even Impact Rand'sSenate  Re-Election Bid

UPDATE 4

Ron Paul Issues Statement on the Indictments of Three 2012 Ron Paul Campaign Operatives

UPDATE 5

Rand Paul Spokesperson on the Ron Paul Campaign Operative Indictments