The government's case against the trio of operatives for Ron and Rand Paul who attempted to buy the endorsement of an Iowa state senator just got a second life, reports Russ Choma at Mother Jones.
A federal judge has set a new trial date for Dimitri Kesari, a longtime Paul family operative whom an Iowa jury found guilty last month of helping cover up the pay-for-endorsement scheme in Ron Paul's 2012 presidential campaign. He will be re-tried on the 3 charges where the jury deadlocked.
Court filings also indicate that prosecutors might attempt to bring back similar charges against Ron Paul Inc. operatives Jesse Benton, Rand Paul's nephew-in-law, and John Tate, reports Choma,
Because the jury deadlocked on the charges against Kesari, prosecutors were able to ask for a new trial for him, but must seek new indictments against Tate and Benton. In a filing today, the federal judge in the case set a new trial date for Kesari of December 14. However, the judge also noted that the government has the right to re-indict Tate and Benton, and if prosecutors do so, the judge ordered Benton and Tate's new trial to be scheduled for February 14, two weeks after the Iowa caucuses.
-RW
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