Washington: Two Virginia businessmen were charged on Wednesday in an alleged conspiracy to illegally reimburse campaign donors for USD 186,600 in contributions to a 2008 presidential candidate and to the candidate's 2006 Senate campaign.
Federal campaign finance records show that both men were donors to Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaigns in 2006 and 2008.
A grand jury indictment handed up in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, also accuses William P Danielczyk Jr and Eugene R Biagi of covering up the reimbursements.
The two men allegedly distributed back-dated letters to 15 contributors that falsely characterised reimbursements for contributions as "consulting fees”. The indictment alleges the two men also created checks to 17 contributors containing a memorandum line falsely stating that each check was for "consulting fees”.
Besides conspiracy and obstruction of justice, Danielczyk, 49, and Biagi, 76, were accused of two counts of reimbursing contributions and one count of using corporate funds to reimburse contributions. The indictment also charges Danielczyk with two counts of causing false statements to be submitted to the Federal Election Commission.
The two men, who live in the Washington suburb of Oakton, Virginia, allegedly reimbursed USD 30,200 to eight contributors to the 2006 Senate campaign, and reimbursed USD 156,400 to 35 contributors to the 2008 presidential campaign.
Bureau Report
First Published: Thursday, February 17, 2011, 14:58