Conservative filmmaker and author Dinesh D’Souza “lied” to Republican Wendy Long about the source of $20,000 in contributions he illegally made to her failed 2012 US Senate bid to defeat incumbent Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), the feds said Friday.
Assistant US Attorney Carrie Cohen outlined the government’s charges against D’Souza – who directed the controversial flick “2016: Obama’s America” – during his arraignment in Manhattan federal court, saying he allegedly made four separate $5,000 donations in August 2012 through a subordinate employee, a person he “was living with” and their respective “spouses.”
Should the case go to trial, Cohen said the government would call Long and the four straw donors to testify against D’Souza, who resigned under fire as president of the Christian-teaching King’s College in 2012 following allegations he was having an extramarital affair.
“[Long] informed the government that Mr. D’Souza lied to her about the source of those donations,” Cohen said.
She also said that D’Souza “expressly promised” to reimburse the straw donors – and did so within days after they contributed to Long.
Under federal law, candidates can’t receive more than $5,000 per contributor for election campaigns.
D’Souza pleaded not guilty to violating federal campaign finance laws and making false statements to the feds about it.
He was released after posting a $500,000 bond and surrendering his passport and faces up to seven years in prison.
D’Souza’s lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, told Manhattan federal Judge Richard Berman he doesn’t dispute the facts as outlined by the government but also said his client didn’t do anything with criminal intent or in violation of federal election law.
Born in Mumbai, India, D’Souza, 52, is also a former policy adviser to President Ronald Reagan.
Long, who graduated from Dartmouth College in 1982 a year before D’Souza, could not immediately be reached for comment