Three political operatives with close ties to Republican presidential candidate Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) are under indictment regarding a pay-for-endorsement scheme that occurred during the 2012 Iowa caucuses. Paul’s father, former Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), his sister, and current top political adviser are expected to testify at the trial.
According to Mother Jones:
Dimitri Kesari, John Tate, and Benton, longtime political professionals, were hit with a slew of criminal conspiracy and campaign finance charges in early August. None worked for Rand Paul directly at the time, but Tate and Benton were running a super-PAC devoted to supporting his presidential campaign. All were veterans of various Paul campaigns and have long been in the family’s orbit. The charges stem from allegations that the 2012 Ron Paul presidential campaign, which employed all three men, hid payments to then-Iowa state Sen. Kent Sorenson, who has admitted switching his endorsement to Paul from Michele Bachmann in exchange for money.
Watch.
