Sorenson pleaded guilty of three counts in federal court and the federal court has not set a sentencing date as yet.
Of course it is not illegal to endorse a candidate for President of the United States, even if that candidate is Ron Paul. Of course it is not illegal to walk away from a previous promise of support and an endorsement, and again, even if that candidate is Michele Bachmann.
Here is what is illegal about this sordid series of events. On Dec. 28, 2011, Sorenson
resigned as Michele Bachmann's Iowa campaign chairman, and then immediately announced his endorsement of Ron Paul as his choice in the 2012 Republican Iowa caucus and the presidency of the United States. The date Sorenson left the Bachmann campaign to join the Ron Paul campaign was just six days prior to the Iowa caucus.
As expected, that immediately set off rumors that Sorenson was paid to do so, something to which Sorenson scoffed his indignation at being accused of such a thing.
At least the public Kent Sorenson. However, the private Kent Sorenson had plenty to say, as evidenced by the YouTube video above.
Yesterday the
case came to a head when Sorenson pleaded guilty in federal court of switching sides, which is not illegal, but switching sides for cash. The total haul for the switch was $73,000, paid out at $8,000 per month laundered through two companies to hide the money from public disclosure. The two companies amounted to two counts. A third count was that Sorenson lied to an Iowa state ethics commission.
This raises an obvious question and whether the Justice Department is investigating. What was the role played by Ron Paul himself, since someone authorize the dispensation of the money to Sorenson? If it is Ron Paul himself, could it impact his son, U.S. Senator Rand Paul, who is considered a serious candidate for the Republican nomination.
The
Center for Responsive Politics has been following this thread for months and notes that "nobody has been indicted in connection with making the payments to Sorenson."
TheIowaRepublican.com has
obtained a recording of a phone conversation between State Senator Kent Sorenson and Dennis Fusaro. The call was recorded just days after Sorenson abruptly abandoned Michele Bachmann’s campaign and publicly endorsed Ron Paul. The phone call confirmed the payment made to Sorenson. The call also indicated Sorenson was considering withdrawing from the Paul campaign almost immediately after announcing his support for Paul.
That's Iowa Republican politics. It is all about the money.
