Chief strategist of pro-Trump super-PAC guilty in payment scandal

Jesse Benton, the chief strategist of a pro-Donald Trump super-PAC, on Thursday was found guilty of public corruption charges related to the 2012 election, according to the Department of Justice. 

Benton, who leads the Great America PAC, was found guilty along with two other aides for Ron Paul’s 2012 Republican presidential campaign.

{mosads}The charges relate to a cover up of an attempt to pay Iowa state Sen. Kent Sorenson $73,000 for an endorsement during Paul’s campaign. Sorenson initially supported Michele Bachmann but switched his support to Paul just days before the Iowa caucuses.

The operatives allegedly paid Sorenson through a third-party video production company, so the money couldn’t be traced in public reports filed with the Federal Election Commission, The Des Moines Register reported. Doing so was essential because Sorenson denied allegations that he’d accepted cash for the endorsement, prosecutors claimed — but such actions broke campaign expenditure reporting laws.

Benton, who is married to Paul’s granddaughter, was found guilty on charges of conspiracy, causing false records, causing false campaign expenditure reporting and false statements scheme. 

Former aide John Tate was found guilty on the same four counts, while Dimitri Kesari was found guilty of conspiracy, causing false records and a false statements scheme. 

Sorenson testified that on the night of his endorsement, Benton told him: “You’re bleeding for us. We will take care of you.”

A grand jury had indicted the three operatives on charges — first announced on Aug. 5 — but a judge dismissed entirely the charges against Tate, and all but one were dropped against Benton before the trial in October.

Benton was acquitted at the first trial of lying to FBI agents. At the time, his attorneys said he was not involved in every detail of Paul’s campaign.