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Rowland Could Get Second Term – In Prison

Former Rep. John G. Rowland, R-Conn., was indicted Thursday for federal campaign finance violations involving the 2012 congressional campaign of Republican Lisa Wilson-Foley, and another federal candidate in 2010. If convicted, Rowland faces a possible second prison term.

Rowland served in Congress from 1985 to 1991. He served as Governor of Connecticut from 1995 to 2004. He resigned in 2004 under pressure about allegations of receiving $107,000 in gifts and services from state contractors. Rowland was convicted and served ten months in prison.

Former Rep. John G. Rowland, R-Conn., was indicted Thursday by a federal grand jury in Connecticut. The actual indictment charges Rowland with seven counts, including of two counts of falsifying records in a federal investigation; one count of conspiracy; two counts of causing false statements to be made to the Federal Election Commission; and two counts of illegal campaign contributions.

During Lisa Wilson-Foley’s 2012 campaign, the indictment states Rowland provided assistance to the campaign and received funds through Lisa Wilson-Foley’s husband, Brian Foley. Foley’s Apple Rehab nursing home company, an attorney who worked for the nursing home, and a real estate company, were involved in providing Rowland with $35,000 for his services. Rowland previously represented the same congressional district. Prosecutors stated Rowland’s assistance was a contribution to the campaign and should have been reported.

The indictment states Rowland had a similar arrangement with another unnamed federal candidate in the 2010 election. Payments to him were routed through another corporate identify referred to as the Animal Center.

Lisa Wilson-Foley and her husband pleaded guilty last month to a conspiring with Rowland and others to violate campaign finance.

An initial complaint in the matter was filed with the Federal Election Commission by Mike Clark, one of Wilson-Foley’s opponents, who is a former F.B.I. agent. Clark had supervised the FBI investigative team that ultimately charged Rowland with honest services fraud, mail fraud and tax fraud.

Rowland’s attorney is Washington lawyer Reid H. Weingarten at Steptoe & Johnson LLP.

View U.S. Attorney’s press release.

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