Democrat Candidate Accused Of 4 Felonies – Lewis Charged With Stealing Campaign Funds And Covering It Up
Corruption and crime is often an unfortunate part of the political sphere. Because candidates often require a lot of money to run a campaign, there are many chances to break the law.
One of the most common is stealing campaign funds and using them for personal gain. We’ve seen many examples of this over the years, and it usually results in arrests and major charges.
That’s what one Democrat is facing in Milwaukee — 4 felony charges.
Milwaukee City Councilwoman Chantia Lewis is facing some serious allegations, which are destined to damage her career.
In addition to being a Councilwoman, she’s also running for the Wisconsin Senate. The seat she wants to claim is currently held by Republican Sen. Ron Johnson.
However, Johnson may not have to worry about a challenge from Lewis, who now has bigger problems. She’s not only accused of theft and embezzlement; she’s also accused of lying about it.
This is the sort of mistake that could end any political career, especially if convicted.
And right now, the evidence appears to be stacking up against Lewis, who apparently thought she could steal campaign funds and use them however she saw fit.
From Fox News:
A Democrat running for Senate in Wisconsin has been charged with four felonies for allegedly stealing tens of thousands of dollars from her campaign and then lying about it.
Lewis is alleged to have stolen $21,000 in campaign funds, which the complaint says the council member dropped into her personal bank account and used for personal expenses.
She allegedly filed false campaign finance reports related to her campaigns for Milwaukee City Council.
These felony charges for misconduct span four years between 2016 and 2020:
This includes embezzling over $10,000, filing a false campaign report, and illegally funneling funds from her campaign account. The false reports were to hide the latter action, evidently.
The penalty is pretty steep, too.
Lewis faces up to $10,000 in fines and 3.5 years in prison for three of the charges. The embezzlement charge is far more severe, and carries a maximum fine of $25,000 and up to 10 years in prison.
However, she claims she’s innocent.
Her campaign released a statement and claimed the charges were due to “accounting errors,” and she was “innocent of any criminal wrongdoing.”
Regarding the Wisconsin Senate race, Sen. Johnson may or may not run again in 2022, but there are plenty of Democrats looking to fill the seat, so Lewis has more competition there as well.
For the time being, Lewis will have to wait and see how the legal process plays out.
If she’s innocent, she’ll have a chance to prove it in a court of law. But if she’s guilty of stealing those funds, she might not have to worry about any political race.
Instead, she’ll have to worry about staying out of prison.
Key Takeaways:
- Milwaukee City Councilwoman Chantia Lewis is accused of theft, embezzlement, and lying about it.
- She allegedly stole $21,000 in campaign funds, and now faces up to $25,000 in fines and 10 years in prison.
- Lewis maintains her innocence, stating the charges are due to “accounting errors.”
Source: Fox News
