Politician’s Trust Broken: Consultant Accused of Stealing Campaign Money

A political consultant from Annapolis, known for working with Republicans like former Gov. Larry Hogan, has been charged by federal authorities. The indictment says he took money from at least one elected official and a community group to buy a yacht. The case lists six criminal counts: three for wire fraud and three for money laundering. According to the prosecutors, he moved about $100, 000 from a politician’s campaign account into his own firm’s bank and later into personal accounts. He also signed false reports that hid the real balances of those accounts. The consultant runs a firm called GOP Compliance, which helps Republican candidates file campaign finance paperwork. He is named treasurer on many Maryland campaign accounts, including those for Sen. Stephen Hershey Jr. , Dels. Jefferson Ghrist and others.One of the victims is a Maryland delegate who says she was tricked into trusting him. She claims he stole money that voters had donated. She has paid over $7, 500 to the consultant’s firm for services since 2020. The indictment also says he stole money from a local tennis organization that hosts county events. He was treasurer of that group in 2018. He has links to the Anne Arundel County Tennis Association and claims he was appointed by Gov. Hogan in 2017 to manage finances for the state’s IT department and Hogan’s reelection campaign. He pleaded not guilty on Monday and was released with conditions: he must surrender his passport, avoid opening new bank accounts, and inform anyone who might hire him that he faces federal charges. If found guilty, each wire fraud charge could bring up to 20 years in prison; each money laundering charge could add up to 10 years.