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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Two top aides to Ron Paul's 2012 presidential campaign knowingly concealed payments to an Iowa lawmaker who agreed to endorse their boss ahead of the state's first-in-the-nation caucuses, a federal prosecutor said Tuesday at the start of a trial in which the former Texas congressman is set to testify.
"This case is about a cover-up," said Justice Department attorney Jonathan Kravis during opening statements in the Des Moines trial of Jesse Benton and Dimitri Kesari.
Benton faces one count of making false statements and Kesari faces five charges, including conspiracy and obstruction. Both men, who were in the courtroom, have pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors say emails and testimony presented during the trial will show Benton and Kesari organized secret payments totaling $73,000 to former Iowa Sen. Kent Sorenson, who jumped from the Michele Bachmann campaign to the Paul campaign days before the January 2012 Iowa caucuses.
Separate attorneys representing Benton and Kesari questioned available evidence in the trial and the credibility of Sorenson, who is expected to testify.
Paul also is set to testify during the trial, which will last about nine days. Prosecutors say the men went behind Paul's back in the alleged scheme, and his testimony will show how badly the aides wanted to secure success in the early battleground state of Iowa.
Benton originally faced more charges in the case, but they were dismissed recently after defense attorneys argued that they stemmed from FBI interviews last year that could not be used. John Tate, a third Paul aide originally accused of wrongdoing in the alleged cover-up, had his charges dismissed over the same argument. The government may refile the dismissed charges separately in the future.
Prosecutors say they have proof Benton lied to FBI agents about the alleged secret payments to Sorenson. Meena Sinfelt, an attorney for Benton, raised skepticism about how agents questioned her client and she pointed out that there's no transcript available of the interviews.
"Don't assume anything," she told jurors. "Make them show you the evidence."
Until recently, Benton helped lead America's Liberty, one of several super PACs supporting current presidential hopeful Rand Paul, a first-term U.S. senator from Kentucky who is Ron Paul's son. Benton is also married to Rand Paul's niece, who was in the courtroom.
Prosecutors say Kesari helped recruit Sorenson and hid payments to him by recording them as campaign "audio/visual expenses," from a film production company. Jesse Binnall, an attorney representing Kesari, said his client was not involved in the technical side of the campaign that involved money and federal filings of expenditures. He also said Sorenson, who entered a plea deal with the government on charges of obstruction of justice and causing a campaign to falsely report expenditures, will be an unreliable witness.
"His credibility is shot," he said of Sorenson, who is awaiting sentencing from his conviction.
Testimony began Tuesday and is expected to continue Wednesday.
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