Best newspaper graphic ever
Former Congressman Steve Stockman, a Tea Party stalwart who represented East Texas during two non-consecutive terms, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison on Wednesday for his role in a wide-ranging scheme that included a spy operation aimed a fellow Republican challenger and $1.25 million in campaign funds pilfered from conservative megadonors.
Stockman, 61, of Clear Lake, said nothing in court after Chief U.S. Judge Lee H. Rosenthal sentenced the former beltway firebrand who in April was convicted by a jury on 23 felony counts stemming from unlawful use of charitable donations.
Stockman, who was wearing an orange jail uniform and beige rubber clogs and was chained at the ankles, faced the potential of more than 20 years on each of seven mail and wire fraud charges, as well as 10 years on each of 11 money laundering counts, five years apiece on two counts of making false statements, plus five years for making coordinated campaign contributions and up to three years for filing a false tax return.
His new defense lawyer, Marlo Cadeddu, asked for a 13-month sentence, which she said was average for a corruption case.
But Rosenthal said the short sentence “doesn’t come close to capturing this unique violation of public trust.”
“You stole money and used it for personal gain and you used it to violate the public trust,” Rosenthal told Stockman before he was sentenced. “You cheated the American taxpayer.”
She said her sentencing took into account that he sneaked around and had people go through trash of his perceived opponent, that he cheated taxpayers and tried to cover up his acts and continued to seek the political spotlight.
[…]
In addition to the 10-year federal jail term, Stockman faces three years of supervised release. He was also ordered t pay $1.014 million in restitution.
See here for some background, or just search the archives for “Stockman”. Sorry, but I’m fresh out of sympathy for grifters. He got what was coming to him. Jason Posey and Thomas Dodd, who pled out and testified against their former boss, will be sentenced on December 12. The Trib has more.
He’ll be out in two years.
He’ll be out in two years.
“…..in a wide-ranging scheme that included a spy operation aimed a fellow Republican challenger and $1.25 million in campaign funds pilfered from conservative megadonors.”
I’m glad the precedent is set that we do punish people for this kind of behavior. I’m thinking about another campaign that was spied on that needs some justice.
Federal prisoners don’t get early release easily. There’s no parole for Federal prisoners, and the “good time” credit is 50 or so days per year. Stockman will be locked for some time.
He’ll be out in a month and in front of a Senate panel for his Attorney General confirmation hearing as soon as Trump can find a Sharpie to sign the pardon.
Trump and his neutered Republican Party can’t allow this Republican talent to be wasted in a prison cell.
Brad,
Trump was the victim of campaign spying by the opposition. Why do you think he would feel like pardoning someone for a crime Trump himself was a victim of? That’s like saying a rape victim will surely pardon someone who raped other people…..it defies logic.