[EL] "Illegal contributions" from Ami Bera's father

[Steve Klein]

>
> The illegality was money laundering and fraud.


I will only emerge for a moment from the legal nerdery
<https://www.getyarn.io/yarn-clip/479cdd21-336e-4350-a993-5ab37ad9665b> to
note that, in fact, the illegality was knowing and willfully making
excessive campaign finance contributions and knowingly and willfully making
contributions in the name of another. (Bera’s plea agreement attached.)

Money laundering is this wholly other thing
<https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1956> that gets a lot of play
in campaign finance rhetoric but has a rightfully unsuccessful
<http://www.wyliberty.com/blog-tags/wyliberty-arguments-prevail-in-important-free-speech-case>
history in campaign finance law.

On Wed, May 11, 2016 at 12:05 AM, David A. Holtzman <David at holtzmanlaw.com>
wrote:

> Thomas, you may have seen an earlier version of the article.  Note:
> "UPDATES
>  . . .
> 2:37 p.m.: This article was updated with a quote and additional
> information from the U.S. attorney."
> Without that I might have been baffled too.
> The illegality was money laundering and fraud.
>   - dah
>
>
>
> On 5/10/2016 7:05 PM, Thomas J. Cares wrote:
>
> 'I have, in fact, done the crime': Rep. Ami Bera's father admits illegal
> campaign contributions
> http://lat.ms/1sbbYts
>
> I really would have thought constitutional rights to self fund would
> include the right of a very close relative, like a parent, to fund a
> campaign without restrictions. This feels very wrong. I don't see why such
> a restriction would survive any scrutiny - a large contribution from a
> parent is highly unlikely to create any conflict of interest that wouldn't
> already be there by virtue of them being your parent (especially if they
> are the kind of parent who would have made a large contribution, but for a
> law prohibiting it - (a parent who has surely otherwise been a supportive
> figure to the candidate)).
>
> I am incredibly baffled by the contents of that LA Times story.
>
> Also, I think it's kind of great if a candidate is so lucky to have a
> parent to fund them (I was a candidate once, but don't have parents with
> those kinds of resources). Much better for society to have candidates
> funded by parents than candidates funded by executives whose companies have
> business before Congress, albeit in smaller aggregated amounts. (Baffled).
>
> Tom Cares
>
>
> --
>
>
>
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>
> --
> David A. Holtzman, M.P.H., J.D.
> david at holtzmanlaw.com
>
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-- 
Steve Klein
Attorney*
Pillar of Law Institute
www.pillaroflaw.org

**Licensed to practice law in Illinois and Michigan*
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