Dinesh D’Souza Pleads Not Guilty, Released on $500,000 Bond as More Details Emerge on Alleged Campaign Fraud

[Rapunzel]

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/01/24/dinesh-dsouza-pleads-not-guilty-released-on-500000-bond-as-more-details-emerge-on-alleged-campaign-fraud/

Dinesh D’Souza Pleads Not Guilty, Released on $500,000 Bond as More Details Emerge on Alleged Campaign Fraud
Jan. 24, 2014 5:42pm Jason Howerton

NEW YORK (TheBlaze/AP) — Dinesh D’Souza, the conservative scholar who made the documentary “2016: Obama’s America,” pleaded not guilty on Friday to charges that he violated campaign finance laws and was released on $500,000 bond. His travel was also reportedly restricted to the United States.

A Republican candidate told government investigators that a conservative scholar and author lied to her about the source of donations made to her U.S. Senate campaign, a prosecutor disclosed at an arraignment Friday. The candidate, Wendy Long, made the statement to investigators as they were building a case against D’Souza, 52, Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Cohen said. Long lost to Democratic incumbent Kirsten Gillibrand in last year’s election in New York.

The prosecutor said that D’Souza was indicted after he directed an individual who worked for him and another person who lived with him to each make $10,000 in donations to Long’s campaign with the understanding that he would reimburse them for their contributions, which he did soon afterward.

Cohen made the disclosures as D’Souza, 52, of San Diego, pleaded not guilty to charges that he violated campaign finance laws. He was released on $500,000 bond and his travel was restricted to the United States.

His lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, told U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman there was not much dispute about what happened.

“I think there’s a dispute over how it happened and whether what happened violated federal law,” Brafman said.

He said he had been in discussions with the government for some time before his client was indicted and had hoped to convince prosecutors that criminal charges were inappropriate.

Outside court, Brafman said there was no corrupt intent, a necessary component of the law, in his client’s actions, and he said the $20,000 in donations fell short of the $25,000 required to bring a criminal case. He said it was a situation that was normally resolved with a fine rather than criminal charges.

He said there was no request by D’Souza that Long do anything, and the Senate candidate had no knowledge that campaign finance rules had been violated. Brafman said D’Souza and Long had been friends since college and “at worst, this was an act of misguided friendship by D’Souza.”

2016: Obama’s America” became one of the most successful political documentaries ever released, grossing more than $32 million.

[Rapunzel]

Discussing the in Real News right now, Buck Sexton said he talked to a Federal Prosecutor last night about this and this person told him this screams political hit job.

[Rapunzel]

They said the reason they are doing this out front is the same reason they have made it known they are going after Friends of Abe in Hollywood trying to ferret out who is the real conservatives in Hollywood - the new McCarthyism.  They can't run on Obamacare this year so they are using their executive power to throw a scare into everyone who plans to be active politically in 2014.

[Chieftain]

And in the meantime, Bertha Lewis, formerly of ACORN and responsible for innumerable frauds, is now part of the DeBlazio revenue attempting to run New York until New York runs them out of town on a rail.  And don't get me started on the Hildebeest.....

There is an old saying that you can indict a ham sandwich, but proving in court that the mustard conspired with the cheese against the ham is another matter.  That is where we are with these charges.  This is an attempt to intimidate and an excellent example of Just-Us trying to push their weight around.  At best these charges may warrant misdemeanor charges, not felonies; and the over-reaching little bastard who filed these as a felony knows that.  This will never, ever stand up in court if it ever makes it there in the first place.  These things are usually done via plea bargain and do not usually involve a perp walk or even a bail hearing.  Once this one does get in front of a judge, there is a young AUSDA who is going to get himself torn a new bleep over this and he'll be lucky if the judge doesn't toss the case all together.

[mountaineer]

released on $500,000 bond. His travel was also reportedly restricted to the United States

I must have missed the part about how he killed 27 people in cold blood, too.

[olde north church]

This is EXACTLY what happens when you play defense and scared.

[Oceander]

This is EXACTLY what happens when you play defense and scared.

Hmmm.  The fascists are scenting blood in the water.