GOP political operative convicted of funneling illegal foreign contributions to Trump campaign

A federal jury convicted a Republican political operative on Thursday for funneling illegal campaign contributions from a Russian national into former President Trump’s 2016 campaign.

Jesse Benton, who previously worked for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), worked with another GOP political operative to arrange for the Russian national to attend a fundraiser and take a picture with Trump.

Since the event required a contribution, the Russian national sent $100,000 to Benton’s political consulting firm — $25,000 of which he donated in his own name to the Trump campaign and the other $75,000 of which he pocketed.

Trump and his campaign were not aware that the individual — who the Washington Post identified as Russian naval officer and multilevel marketer Roman Vasilenko — was Russian, according to the Justice Department.

Benton was previously convicted of campaign finance crimes in May 2016 for paying an Iowa state senator to support former Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) in the 2012 presidential race. Trump pardoned Benton in December 2020.

The political operative worked on Paul’s 2012 presidential campaign, as well as his son Rand Paul’s 2010 campaign and McConnell’s 2014 campaign. Benton also served as chief strategist of the Great America PAC, which supported Trump, in 2016.