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Three Ron Paul 2012 Staffers Charged with Bribing Iowa Official

Flickr / Gage Skidmore
State Senator Ken Sorenson of Iowa speaking at the 2012 Liberty Political Action Conference in Chantilly, Virginia.

Three staffers from Ron Paul’s 2012 Presidential campaign have been indicted in connection with payments given to former state Senator Kent Sorenson. Sorenson resigned as Michele Bachmann’s Iowa campaign chairman in late December 2011 and took up with the Paul campaign a week before the 2012 Caucuses.

The indictment names Jesse Benton, John Tate and Dimitrios Kesari, alleging they  submitted false expenditure reports to the Federal Election Commission. The indictment says the purpose of the conspiracy was to cover up $73,000 in bribes to Sorenson, to persuade him to leave the Bachmann campaign.

The indictment also says Benton lied to the FBI in an attempt to impede the investigation into Sorenson’s resignation. Benten is married to Ron Paul’s granddaughter, and currently heads a pro-Rand Paul super PAC.

Sorenson pleaded guilty to his role in the matter, but has not been sentenced.