The Other McCain

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Dinesh D’Souza Pleads Guilty

Posted on | May 20, 2014 | 38 Comments

The conservative intellectual committed a particularly clumsy crime — an ill-disguised straw-donor scheme that violated federal campaign finance law — in an inexplicable attempt to aid a Republican candidate who never had a real chance to win. Whether or not Dinesh D’Souza was a target of selective prosecution, he was nonetheless guilty, and has now officially admitted he broke the law:

Conservative author and filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a campaign finance law violation, avoiding a trial that had been expected to begin the same day in a Manhattan federal court.
D’Souza, known for his biting criticism of President Barack Obama, pleaded guilty to one criminal count of making illegal contributions in the names of others. A second count concerning the making of false statements is expected to be dismissed once he is sentenced.
The plea came four months after Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara charged D’Souza with using “straw donors” to give funds in 2012 to Republican Wendy Long’s U.S. Senate campaign in New York. Long, who met D’Souza while they were students in the 1980s, lost to Democratic incumbent Kirsten Gillibrand.
“I knew that causing a campaign contribution to be made in the name of another was wrong and something the law forbids,” D’Souza, 53, told U.S. District Judge Berman on Tuesday. “I deeply regret my conduct.”

(Via Memeorandum.) Evading federal campaign finance law is rather easy to accomplish by entirely legal means, and even illegal “straw donor” schemes usually go undetected. But D’Souza is an intellectual, and as such, lacked the necessary “street smarts” either to find a legal loophole or to get away with a federal crime.

 

Category: Crime, Intellectuals

Comments

38 Responses to “Dinesh D’Souza Pleads Guilty”

  1. CHideout
    May 20th, 2014 @ 12:03 pm

    Dinesh D’Souza Pleads Guilty: The conservative intellectual committed a particularly clumsy crime — an ill-dis… http://t.co/nvrfTBlCet

  2. MrEvilMatt
    May 20th, 2014 @ 12:03 pm

    Dinesh D’Souza Pleads Guilty: The conservative intellectual committed a particularly clumsy crime — an ill-dis… http://t.co/lN6FLExIX2

  3. WeRResistance
    May 20th, 2014 @ 12:03 pm

    Dinesh D’Souza Pleads Guilty: The conservative intellectual committed a particularly clumsy crime — an ill-dis… http://t.co/arCzm1tlvM

  4. Citzcom
    May 20th, 2014 @ 12:04 pm

    Dinesh D’Souza Pleads Guilty: The conservative intellectual committed a particularly clumsy crime — an ill-dis… http://t.co/QsuSAlkAdn

  5. Lockestep1776
    May 20th, 2014 @ 12:04 pm

    Dinesh D’Souza Pleads Guilty: The conservative intellectual committed a particularly clumsy crime — an ill-dis… http://t.co/DgQJZqkI8N

  6. rsmccain
    May 20th, 2014 @ 12:10 pm

    Dinesh D’Souza Pleads Guilty http://t.co/LkbI1qP0Sj #tcot

  7. Evi L. Bloggerlady
    May 20th, 2014 @ 12:20 pm

    Obviously he was offered a plea bargain.

    We probably all break a few misdemeanors and (maybe even a felony or two) without even realizing it. That is the nature of our over regulated society.

    But this was not exactly that, this was him trying help out a friend and being ham fisted in doing so (and not realizing or ignoring he has a big fat target on him).

  8. PaulHair1
    May 20th, 2014 @ 12:21 pm

    @rsmccain: Good post on Dinesh D’Souza: http://t.co/swcKdcHPqC

  9. PaulHair1
    May 20th, 2014 @ 12:22 pm

    @rsmccain: Something definitely off with D’Souza; right needs to thoroughly examine him: http://t.co/PxW9zxJLFi

    http://t.co/zcY7QEtq4h

  10. PruPaine
    May 20th, 2014 @ 12:26 pm

    my biased heart hopes he’ll only get a fine RT @rsmccain: Dinesh D’Souza Pleads Guilty http://t.co/rOPsiJLa5M

  11. Paul H. Lemmen
    May 20th, 2014 @ 12:28 pm

    I would like to welcome Mr. D’Souza to Club Fed! IF he gets sentenced to serve time I hope he selects FPC Pensacola, they have the best jobs and accomodations in the federal system …

  12. ophidianpilot
    May 20th, 2014 @ 12:28 pm

    Dinesh D’Souza Pleads Guilty
    #tcot #pjnet http://t.co/SkrbTUpveT via @rsmccain

  13. Paul H. Lemmen
    May 20th, 2014 @ 12:31 pm

    Exactly! It’s not like he set out to consciously break the law! He’s not an intensional criminal like I was …

  14. Evi L. Bloggerlady
    May 20th, 2014 @ 12:41 pm

    Yes and no. I agree this is not fraud. But he knew there was a limitation and tried to be cute. What he should have done is consulted a lawyer on what is the legal way to avoid the law.

    Which is in itself a completely fucked up development in U.S. criminal law.

  15. OwainPenllyn
    May 20th, 2014 @ 12:55 pm

    Dinesh D’Souza Pleads Guilty To Campaign Finance Law Violation http://t.co/0ZCwXPaVeu #tcot #tgdn #teaparty #uniteblue

  16. Evi L. Bloggerlady
    May 20th, 2014 @ 12:59 pm

    You are like a travel adviser for the Federal penal system!

  17. K-Bob
    May 20th, 2014 @ 1:05 pm

    And thus merely ends up fisted.

  18. Quartermaster
    May 20th, 2014 @ 1:05 pm

    Why do you think Lawyers go to legislatures like Lemmings to the sea?

  19. K-Bob
    May 20th, 2014 @ 1:08 pm

    Yeah, but when he wakes up tomorrow, he still won’t be Alan Grayson. So he’s got that goin’ for him.

  20. Clay Aiken Nods Off on Vets Scandal | Regular Right Guy
    May 20th, 2014 @ 1:19 pm

    […] Dinesh D’Souza Pleads Guilty […]

  21. PCachu
    May 20th, 2014 @ 2:29 pm

    Truly, every day that you are not Alan Grayson is a good day indeed.

  22. Dinesh D’Souza pleads guilty… | Batshit Crazy News
    May 20th, 2014 @ 2:54 pm

    […] TOM: Dinesh D’Souza Pleads Guilty […]

  23. Evi L. Bloggerlady
    May 20th, 2014 @ 2:55 pm

    Lemmings die in the sea. Lawyers get fat like salmon when they go to the sea, but unlike salmon they do not die when they f*** someone.

  24. Evi L. Bloggerlady
    May 20th, 2014 @ 2:58 pm

    Yeah, that too. I am sure that the powers that be would construe such fisting to be consentual…

  25. jakee308
    May 20th, 2014 @ 3:12 pm

    First off, the deck was stacked against him.

    “Berman, however, ruled D’Souza was not entitled
    to seek government evidence that could have bolstered that argument,
    saying there was no sign D’Souza had been targeted.”

    And that’s from a left leaning news site.

    Without being able to show that he was singled out and other discovery revelations of course he had to take a plea bargain.

    It’s SOP to demand a full admission and apology when making a final plea.

    He was facing quite a few years if they decided to make an example of him and what other conclusion could he draw since they targetted him and then thwarted a defense.

    Stating his plea as a voluntary and unforced admission of guilt is incorrect. Factual but without regards to what might have gone on behind the scenes.

  26. Evi L. Bloggerlady
    May 20th, 2014 @ 4:09 pm

    True, but he could go to trial and have his day in court. And of course face a year and a half in prison.

    And who knows, he may very well end up getting jail time with this deal.

  27. No Sharp Objects in North Dakota? | Regular Right Guy
    May 20th, 2014 @ 4:09 pm

    […] Dinesh D’Souza Pleads Guilty […]

  28. Finrod Felagund
    May 20th, 2014 @ 4:21 pm

    I just recently read a good book called Three Felonies A Day, which is named for the estimated number of felonies that everyone in the United States commits every day.

  29. thatMrGguy
    May 20th, 2014 @ 7:14 pm

    Dinesh D’Souza Pleads Guilty http://t.co/3rsMr3Mnxj

  30. Bob Belvedere
    May 20th, 2014 @ 7:33 pm

    Like his political theories, D’Souza didn’t think this one through. Dingbat.

  31. BobBelvedere
    May 20th, 2014 @ 8:45 pm

    RT @rsmccain: Dinesh D’Souza Pleads Guilty http://t.co/LkbI1qP0Sj #tcot

  32. BobBelvedere
    May 20th, 2014 @ 8:48 pm

    RT @PaulHair1: @rsmccain: Something definitely off with D’Souza; right needs to thoroughly examine him: http://t.co/PxW9zxJLFi

    http://t.co…

  33. Josh_Painter
    May 20th, 2014 @ 10:56 pm

    RT @rsmccain: Dinesh D’Souza Pleads Guilty http://t.co/LkbI1qP0Sj #tcot

  34. Adjoran
    May 21st, 2014 @ 4:46 am

    He knew exactly what he was doing and that it was against the law.

  35. Adjoran
    May 21st, 2014 @ 4:47 am

    Baloney! He knew damned well it was illegal and tried to conceal it.

    I’m certain he finds the law unwise, as do I, but it’s still the law.

  36. Adjoran
    May 21st, 2014 @ 4:50 am

    Robert Blake (as “Baretta”) said it best: “Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time.”

  37. Paul H. Lemmen
    May 21st, 2014 @ 7:29 am

    Else you will someday be writing a post like this: http://deadrepublicanparty.wordpress.com/2014/05/19/on-being-a-pariah/

  38. Paul H. Lemmen
    May 21st, 2014 @ 7:30 am

    One does what they can!