A California businessman who was a top fundraiser for Democratic and Republican campaigns was sentenced Thursday to 12 years in prison for schemes to funnel foreign money into U.S. political campaigns and take millions of dollars for himself.
Imaad Zuberi’s donations bought him access to many elected officials including presidents, vice presidents and congressional leaders, according to the Los Angeles Times.
“To open doors, I have to donate,” he told The New York Times in 2019. “It’s just a fact of life.”
Zuberi used the name of his dead mother and was secretly reimbursed by foreigners trying to disguise fundraising efforts to sway American police, the LA Times reported.
He also made personal gains by cheating his foreign clients and evading taxes.
“All of these are serious offenses,” U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips said at his hearing.
The Los Angeles judge fined him $1.75 million and ordered him to pay $15.7 million to the government for unpaid taxes, interest and penalties.
Sponsored Links
Comments are closed.