In a setback to Ami Bera, the lone Indian-American Congressman who is facing a tough re-election campaign in California, his father Babulal Bera has pleaded guilty to illegally funding the son’s election campaigns in 2010 and 2012. The 83-year-old senior Bera faces prison up to 30 months; the sentence will be announced on August 4.
The U.S. federal laws limit the contributions an individual can make to a candidate. It was $2,400 in 2010 and $2,500 in 2012 for Congressional elections. To circumvent this limit, the senior Bera asked relatives and friends to make contributions to the campaign account and reimbursed them later, prosecutors have charged.
“The government has identified over 130 improper campaign contributions involving approximately 90 contributors in the two elections. To date, the government has identified over $2,20,000 in reimbursed contributions relating to the 2010 campaign and over $40,000 in reimbursed contributions relating to the 2012 campaign,” the U.S. Justice Department said. The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
‘Incredibly saddened’
Congressman Bera said in a statement that he was “incredibly saddened and disappointed in learning what my dad did”. His campaign said the entire money involved has been paid to the U.S. treasury. He said neither he nor any campaign aides were aware of the activities until being contacted by federal prosecutors in October 2015. “While I deeply love my father, it’s clear that he has made a grave mistake that will have real consequences for him.”
A Gujarati immigrant from Rajkot, the senior Bera came to the U.S. in 1958. Born in the U.S., Ami Bera is the third Indian-American to be elected to Congress and is running for a third term in November.
