Federal prosecutors want Conservative Indian-American author Dinesh D'Souza's jail sentence to be up to 16 months after he pleaded guilty in the trial of campaign finance law violation accusations made against him, but what exactly did he do?
The charges that might lead Dinesh D'Souza to jail are actually two: $20,000 of illegal campaign contributions (which can mean up to two years incarceration) and causing false statements to be made to the Federal Election Commission (which has a maximum penalty of five years in prison). Both charges refer to the 2012 Senate campaign of Republican attorney Wendy Long.
Dinesh D'Souza's jail prospects became steady when the author changed his plea to "guilty" last May, after federal prosecutor Preet Bharara put the charges forward. These involve, first, having made two associates contribute ten thousand dollars each to the Wendy Long campaign (under the agreement that they were both to be reimbursed by D'Souza's own pocket); and, secondly, he is accused of having denied the ordeal when interrogated by the Federal Election Commission.
Dinesh D'Souza's jail sentence will come at September 23, which is when the jury is scheduled to make a final decision. In the meantime, The Financial Express reports that star New York prosecutor for the Southern District Preet Bharara has recommended to the jury that D'Souza be sentenced to 16 months of jail time, for having stricken at "the heart" of the United States federal election system.
The attorney went so far as to say that D'Souza's status as an intellectual authority made matters worse, as his educated background didn't stop him from taking a "short cut" instead of following the law.
In the meantime, the possibility of Dinesh D'Souza's jail time is pending, as the author waits for the decision. In the courtroom, he expressed himself to be "disgraced and humiliated" and that, as he was no danger to the community and had "zero chance" to do it again, he should not be sent to jail.
