FBI arrests Democratic ex-congressman

[Speedy]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/...d-charges/

A former congressman from California has been indicted on 28 charges, including 15 counts of wire fraud and one count of campaign contribution fraud, the Justice Department announced Tuesday.

The FBI arrested TJ Cox on Tuesday morning, according to records from the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. Cox, a Democrat, represented California’s 21st District from 2019 to 2021.

The charges in the unsealed 28-count indictment also include 11 counts of money laundering and one count of financial institution fraud.

The indictment, filed Aug. 4, says Cox schemed to fund and reimburse people close to him for donations to his campaign, according to the Justice Department statement. Federal laws do not allow “conduit” or “straw” donations, in which someone makes a political contribution through someone else to their own campaign.

[SteveG]

I read about this earlier. This guy is so crooked he could meet himself coming around a corner.

A hefty long, long jail term would do him right.

[Tiangou]

Steve G. wrote:
I read about this earlier. This guy is so crooked he could meet himself coming around a corner.

A hefty long, long jail term would do him right.

Looks like he has an avenue for appeal.

When Ted Cruz did something similar, SCOTUS carved out an exemption for him. Money is speech.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/16/politics/...index.html

[Ca Bob]

The difference between Republicans and independents is that on my side, we are in favor of enforcing the law. I used to argue with my fellow Democrats (back when I was one) over their support for a state senator who was clearly crooked. The guy eventually was convicted and did some time, but first they had to get him back from the foreign country he had fled to. Democrats seem to require being convinced, but Republicans defend lawlessness itself.