Tuesday, November 3, 2015

BREAKING: Ron Paul Operative to Be Re-Tried; New Charges Looming Against Benton and Tate

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

No comments:

Post a Comment