A former police officer received a slap on the wrist Monday after pleading guilty to orchestrating a straw donation scheme to support Democratic Gov. Eric Adams’ mayoral campaign.
Dwayne Montgomery pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy. This is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in prison. plea bargain obtained by politiko.
As part of the deal, Montgomery admitted to conspiring with others to “make illegal contributions to Eric Adams’ 2021 mayoral campaign…disguising the true source of the contributions,” according to the complaint. Montgomery “directed straw donors to make donations to the campaign, and the donations were reimbursed by defendants.”
A former New York City police lieutenant confessed that he “directly investigated.”[ing] and assist[ing] Others attempt to use straw donors to assemble campaign funds in order to trigger matching funds by submitting falsified campaign contribution forms to the New York City Campaign Finance Commission. ”
Montgomery sent “$260 to Straw Donor-6” on August 14, 2020 using the mobile payment service Cash App. After sending the money, Montgomery directed the straw donor to donate $260 to Adams’ campaign.
In exchange for pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg sentenced Montgomery to a “conditional discharge” requiring him to “complete 200 hours of community service and pay a $500 fine.” I agreed with the recommendation to do so. “To satisfy the indictment.
Montgomery will perform 200 hours of community service as an “instructor, consultant, and active participant.” BKLYN Combine, a community-based organization that provides education, leadership, and social support programs to teens and young adults in African American communities throughout New York City. ”
Montgomery was also banned from planning or hosting political fundraising events for one year.
Mr. Adams is also a former NYPD officer, and his time with the department overlapped with Mr. Montgomery’s.
“Montgomery was a colleague of the mayor’s in the police department, knew him socially, and worked with him on criminal justice issues,” Evan Teese, a representative for the 2021 Adams campaign, previously said. Criminal justice advocates hosted an event for the mayor.” During the campaign period. ”
According to a report in Politico, Adams reiterated in a press conference on Monday that his campaign was not involved in or aware of the straw donation program.
“I think the DA has clearly reported that there was nothing our campaign did as part of any wrongdoing. I say let the DA handle this situation,” Adams said. Ta.
He said his campaign’s vetting process “included spending thousands of dollars on compliance lawyers, cross-checking signatures and information and making sure things were being done with the level of scrutiny they deserved. And we returned tens of thousands of dollars in donations that were properly investigated.” He did not follow the meeting. So the campaign did its job. ”
Montgomery’s attorney did not respond to a request for comment from Politico.
anything else?
Chinese billionaire Hui Qing pleaded guilty last month to participating in a straw donation scheme, Blaze News previously reported. The Justice Department said he made $11,600 in illegal donations to political campaigns in New York and Rhode Island. A person familiar with the case told The New York Times that some of the donations went to Adams’ campaign.
Vito Pitta, an attorney for Adams in the 2021 mayoral race, said, “As the federal government revealed today, the campaign had no knowledge of the straw donation plan, nor did any of the campaign’s members know anything about it.” “No one has been charged or charged with any wrongdoing.” ”
Adams’ campaign is also being investigated for allegedly receiving illegal donations from the Turkish government, the Times reported. Federal agents raided the homes of Brianna Suggs, Adams’ top fundraiser, and Winnie Greco, the mayor’s Asia director.
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