WASHINGTON – Former US House of Representatives treasurer Nancy Marks pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit fraud and obstructing the Federal Election Commission (FEC), reported Sputnik, quoting the US Attorney's Office.
“With today’s guilty plea, Marks has admitted that she conspired with a congressional candidate to lie to the FEC and, by extension, the public about the financial state of the candidate’s campaign for New York’s Third Congressional District, falsely inflating the campaign’s reported receipts with non-existent contributions and loans,” the US Attorney's Office said in a statement on Thursday.
During the 2022 election cycle, Marks served as treasurer for a principal congressional campaign committee in New York's Third Congressional District and an undisclosed candidate, and engaged in a "fraudulent endeavour," the statement said.
The strategy entailed submitting deceitful reports to the FEC, falsely inflating the campaign’s financial numbers, thereby misleading the FEC and the public, the statement said.
The specific objective of the scheme was to meet the national party committee's programme criteria, which required showcasing a minimum of US$250,000 in fundraising from third-party contributors within one quarter, to secure financial and logistical backing, the statement added.
Upon successfully implementing their plan, Marks and the candidate not only met the required financial thresholds, but also ensured that the congressional campaign received the necessary financial assistance upon qualifying for the programme, according to the statement. – Bernama-Sputnik, October 6, 2023
