Jay Odom, a developer of property in Destin, Fla., where former Gov. Mike Huckabee now lives, surrendered to federal authorities this morning after his indictment on charges that he illegally channeled $23,000 to Huckabee's 2008 campaign for the Republican presidential nomination, Politico and numerous news agencies are reporting. Read the indictment here.
Odom apparently made 10 $2,300 donations to the Huckabee campaign through straw donors, in violation of the Election Act. The indictment does not identify Huckabee's campaign by name, but Political reports that "FEC records make clear that campaign received the suspect donations."
From the indictment:
"From in or about December 2007, defendant ODOM, aware of the strict limits on individual contributions, knowingly devised a scheme whereby he used employees of his business entities and their family members, along with associates, among others, as conduits through which to funnel his own money to the authorized campaign committee of Federal Candidate A under the guise of lawful campaign contributions. ... Defendant ODOM's funding of the contributions took several forms, including paying cash and issuing personal checks. Defendant ODOM also caused individuals to solicit contributions from third parties, and defendant ODOM
then orchestrated the reimbursement of those individuals."
The indictment doesn't allege wrongdoing by the Huckabee campaign.