BEST PEOPLE: Trump gave him a pardon and he funneled Russian money to his campaign
Republican operative Jesse Benton, who was previously pardoned by Trump for finance crimes, has been indicted again.
The former member of Trump’s campaign team is facing six counts of facilitating foreign donations.
Benton was recently convicted of facilitating the donation of a Russian operative to ex-President Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.
Elections “reflect the values and the priorities and the beliefs of American citizens,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Parikh said in her closing argument this week. “Jesse Benton by his actions did damage to those principles.”
Roman Vasilenko, under investigation for running a pyramid scheme, bought his way into a meeting with Donald Trump via a $25,000 donation that Benton purchased on his behalf to a 2016 Republican National Committee campaign event.
The pair connected through a mutual ally of the Bush family, Doug Wead.
Benton received $100,000 from Vasilenko while working for a super PAC working on Trump’s behalf.
Benton said in an email to his RNC contact that Vasilenko was “a friend who spends most of his time in the Caribbean,” describing Vasilenko’s interpreter as “a body gal,” the Washington Post reported.
Benton claims the six-figure payment was for his work as a “tour guide.”
Wead, who passed away in December 2021, was indicted along with Benton, floated the possibility that the Vasilenko could be photographed with high-profile media mogul Oprah Winfrey or even former First Lady Michelle Obama.
Vasilenko posted a picture of himself and Trump on his social media page, promoting his company with the caption “Two Presidents.”
A former libertarian, Benton was a former aide to former congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) and married to Paul’s granddaughter.
A former campaign aide of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Benton was instrumental in getting Paul’s son Rand elected to the United States Senate in 2010, before being convicted of bribery in 2016.
Filing fraudulent campaign reports, Benton was well aware of his nefarious dealings and their illegalities.
Benton didn’t tell his attorney, David A. Warrington – previous counsel for Donald Trump – that he was being compensated for purchasing the six-figure donation by Viselenko when asking if he could give the ticket he purchased to a Russian citizen.
In 2021, Benton was indicted for the third time in six years, according to the Washington Post, for funneling the $25,000 to Trump’s presidential campaign.
Benton was previously convicted for working with two others to illegally buy an endorsement for Ron Paul’s 2012 run for President, receiving a 2020 pardon from then-President Trump.
Benton was also implicated in a scheme to funnel money from China.
Benton’s history as a serial crimer is well documented.
He resigned from Sen. McConnell’s campaign in 2014 in a shroud of controversy and indicted a year later.
But the slippery GOP operative avoided jailtime, with a sentence of two years’ probation.
Now faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and will be sentenced in February.
Benton joins the list of Trump pardonees who, despite their hail Marys, couldn’t help themselves and were convicted again for criming – paging Steve Bannon.
Original reporting by Rachel Weiner at The Washington Post.
Follow Ty Ross on Twitter @cooltxhick
