Supreme Court clears way for dismissal in case of ex-Cincinnati councilman pardoned by Trump |
Supreme Court clears way for dismissal in case of ex-Cincinnati councilman pardoned by Trump
A former Cincinnati city councilman convicted of bribery and attempted extortion but later pardoned by President Trump may now see his case dismissed after the Supreme Court cleared the way.
In an order Monday, the justices declined to hear arguments in Alexander “P.G.” Sittenfeld’s appeal of his 2022 conviction, instead granting his petition only to vacate a lower court’s holding and kick the case back there, where the case can be dismissed for good.
Sittenfeld had urged the high court to weigh in over when political campaign donations cross the line into felony bribes, asking if “unambiguous” evidence of a quid pro quo is required to secure a conviction for bribery based on campaign contributions.
The Democratic ex-Cincinnati City Council member was found guilty of agreeing to accept $20,000 in donations to his political action committee from undercover FBI agents posing as advocates for a downtown property.
Prosecutors said the scheme crossed the line from campaign fundraising to bribery, amounting to an illegal quid pro quo for supporting the development........