Conservative author Dinesh D’Souza ’83 pleaded not guilty on Friday to chargesthat he illegally redirected $20,000 in campaign contributions toa candidatein a 2012 U.S. Senate election.D’Souzawas indictedfor campaign finance fraud on Thursday.
AtFriday’s hearing in Manhattan, a prosecutor told U.S. District Judge RichardBerman that D’Souza redirected funds to thecampaign of Republican candidate Wendy Long ’82 during her 2012 Senate race against Kirsten Gillibrand ’88, D-N.Y.,Bloombergreported.Long told U.S.investigators that D’Souza had lied to her about the source of themoney.
Both parties will reconvene at a conference on Mar. 4 todetermine whether an agreement can be reached or the case will goto trial,said Stephanie Cirkovich, a publicinformation officer for the U.S. District Court ofthe Southern District of NewYork.
The federal grand jury charged D’Souza with making illegalcontributions in the names of others, which allowed him tosurpass the 2012donation limit of $2,500 per candidate in the primary and another $2,500 in thegeneral election, Reutersreported.
D’Souza donated the maximum $5,000 to Long’s campaign,as did his then-wife Dixie D’Souza, Federal ElectionCommission records show.The couple donated their $10,000 on a single day, March 16, 2012. D’Souza alsoallegedlydirected his associates to make the donations and subsequentlyreimbursed them, according to the indictment, which wasobtained by Politico.
He was also charged with one count of causing falsestatements to be made to the FEC. Between the two charges, D’Souzafaces up toseven years in prison, according to a statement released by the office of theU.S. Attorney for theSouthern District of New York.
The indictment resulted from the Federal Bureau ofInvestigation’s review of FEC campaign filings after the 2012 New YorkSenaterace, the statement said.
D’Souza is scheduled to come toHanover for a Jan. 30 event. The program, a debate between D’Souza and 1960scounterculture activist and WeatherUnderground founder Bill Ayers, isco-sponsored by The Dartmouth Review, which D’Souza led as editor during histime atthe College.
As of Thursday evening, The Dartmouth Review had been unable to reach D’Souza, anddoes not know if he will still be able to visit, editor NickDesatnick ’15said.
Staff writer Zac Hardwick contributed reporting.
