Fund-raiser pleads to defrauding Dems
and people wonder why Dems can't get it together
A former Democratic Party fund-raiser pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to stealing more than $360,000 in campaign contributions intended to help elect Democrats to the U.S. Senate.
Roger Chiang, 33, a former director of constituency outreach for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, entered the plea to one count of mail fraud before Judge Richard J. Leon. He faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced June 2.
Chiang's skimming of campaign contribution checks was discovered when a donor contacted the political committee to inquire why his check had been cashed but the contribution not acknowledged, according to U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Wainstein, whose office prosecuted the case.
Investigators from the FBI and U.S. Capitol Police discovered that Chiang used his own name and his former Massachusetts Avenue address in Northwest Washington to open a bank account "doing business as DS Camp" with the First Internet Bank of Indiana in August 2004. Charging documents said Chiang made six mail deposits, composed of checks intended for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee totaling $360,475, to the account between Aug. 30 and Oct. 7 of last year and withdrew about $11,300 from the account for his personal use at Dupont Circle and Capitol Hill ATM machines.