Pay-to-play probe exposes long-time legislator
BY: Washington Free Beacon Staff - April 23, 2012 9:44 am
A former Florida state legislator will plead guilty to tax-evasion charges Monday in federal court after being ensnared in a Justice Department probe into pay-to-play politics.
The Miami Herald reports:
[Mandy] Dawson’s plea will bring to a close the Justice Department’s 5-year-old investigation into influence peddling in Tallahassee, which revolved around now-imprisoned Hollywood doctor Alan Mendelsohn, who doubled as a Republican lobbyist and fundraiser.
Mendelsohn said in federal court that he funneled $82,000 to Dawson through her former legislative aide, who was paid for a no-show job by one of the physician’s political action committees. The reason: so that Dawson, a Democrat, would not oppose legislation supporting the medical profession.
Last July, a Miami federal grand jury charged Dawson with failing to pay income taxes of $11,889 on $92,324 in income for 2004 and $12,966 on $102,896 in income for 2005.
Dawson served 16 years in the Florida legislature in both the state house and senate before being forced out by term limits.
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