Lobbyist Involved In Inauguration Straw Donor Scheme To Be Sentenced In April

on August 31, 2018 in Washington, DC.
WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 31: Sam Patten, a former associate of Paul Manafort, leaves U.S. District Court August 31, 2018 in Washington, DC. Patten pleaded guilty to failing to register in the U.S. as a foreign agent ... WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 31: Sam Patten, a former associate of Paul Manafort, leaves U.S. District Court August 31, 2018 in Washington, DC. Patten pleaded guilty to failing to register in the U.S. as a foreign agent and has agreed to cooperate with prosecutors in the case. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) MORE LESS
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Lobbyist Sam Patten, who pleaded guilty in August to failing to register as a foreign agent, will be sentenced on April 12.

The Wednesday order setting Patten’s sentencing date came just two days after prosecutors filed a status report on Patten’s cooperation entirely under seal. They similarly filed a status report under seal in early January. Such a move is uncommon and suggested that Patten was of high value to prosecutors or that they encountered an issue with his cooperation.

Patten’s upcoming sentencing date suggests that federal prosecutors have exhausted the lobbyist’s utility as a cooperating witness. Patten’s case was not handled by the special counsel’s office, but he cooperated with Robert Mueller’s probe as part of his plea deal.

Patten worked for some of the same Ukrainian clients as Paul Manafort, and he “pleaded guilty” to failing to register for work he did for Ukraine’s Opposition Bloc.

As part of his guilty plea, Patten also admitted to helping a Ukrainian politician buy a $50,000 ticket to President Trump’s inauguration using a straw donor — inauguration committees are banned from accepting donations from foreign entities.

 

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