On Monday, a top District of Columbia businessman has pleaded guilty to violating campaign finance laws. Former government contractor Jeffrey Thompson has been accused by federal prosecutors over an alleged shadow campaign that led to a sizeable contribution of over $660,000 to the 2010 campaign fund of Washington Mayor Vincent Gray. The scheme purportedly led Thompson breaking the current laws that bans individuals to make over $25,000 per person in contributions, Reuters said. Prosecutors also accused the business owner of steering illegal campaign contributions to other political candidates and DC Council members between the years 2006 and 2012.
Telling a federal court that Gray encouraged the fundraising tactics of Thompson, Assistant US Attorney Michael Atkinson said that Gray even used a secret moniker in conversations to hide the illegal activities. Atkinson also stated that in a dinner meeting with Thompson, Gray presented a one-page that would fund his efforts to increase votes in his favor. The lawyer said the budget was billed at $425,000.
Thompson is currently under a plea bargain with prosecutors, which would allow the US Department of Justice to reduce the penalties the former would be paying for conspiracy to violate federal campaign finance laws and submitting false filings to the Internal Revenue Service. Reuters said that Thompson is also cooperating with the government regarding the illegal fundraising efforts.
Gray has since denied the illegal contributions allegations. Telling a local NBC television affiliate, he said, "These are lies. The things that I've heard today are fabricated."
Reuters noted that several people who have connections with Gray's or Thompson's campaigns have submitted guilty pleas in the past two years in courts.
Tommy Wells, a City Council member and also a mayoral candidate, commented about the latest developments in the Thompson illegal contributions trial and said, "(The prosecutor has) ensured that Jeffrey Thompson won't get away with illegally putting a mayor and council members in office so he could get multi-million dollar contracts."
