Thomas Gore, campaign aide and close friend of D.C.’s Mayor Vincent Gray, was charged on Monday with obstruction of justice for destroying records and making illegal campaign contributions. Gore has become the first person incriminated in a wide-ranging federal investigation of Gray’s 2010 campaign. The charges involve minor D.C. election law violations, but the accusations will possibly increase scrutiny of Gray’s election efforts and his term as mayor.
After Gray declined to comment while on business in Las Vegas, his office referred inquiries to the mayor’s criminal defense lawyer, Robert S. Bennett, who said, “It’s a pending investigation. I don’t have any comment.” Gore, 56, is accused by federal prosecutors of providing a rival candidate $535 in illegal campaign contributions in June or July of 2010, only to destroy a spiral-bound note-book that documented the payoffs. Prosecutors said the donations were made through money orders “in the name of another person.” Gore is charged with three D.C. election law misdemeanors and one federal charge of destroying records. If convicted, Gore could face up to 20 years in prison on the obstruction charge and a maximum penalty of six months in jail on each of the D.C. offenses. He is expected to appear in the District’s federal court on Tuesday at a “plea agreement hearing,” according to the court’s Web site.
