GOP donor faces trial on charges of sex trafficking minors

A prominent Republican donor, Anton “Tony” Lazzaro, is facing federal charges of commercial sex acts involving five minor girls aged 15 and 16 in 2020. The charges include sex trafficking, and his co-defendant, Gisela Castro Medina, has pleaded guilty to two counts and will testify against him. Lazzaro denies the allegations, claiming that they are politically motivated, and his spokesperson has stated that he is being targeted by the US Department of Justice for his political activities.

Lazzaro’s indictment triggered a political scandal that led to the resignation of Jennifer Carnahan as chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota. Carnahan and Lazzaro became friends when she ran for a legislative seat in 2016, and he supported her run for party chair in 2017. She resigned after allegations surfaced that she created a toxic work environment and abused nondisclosure agreements to silence her critics.

Prosecutors in the case against Lazzaro allege that he conspired with Castro Medina and others to recruit young girls for sex in exchange for cash and valuable items. They accuse him of having a sexual preference for young, vulnerable, and petite girls without tattoos. Prosecutors claim he frequently sent cars to pick up the girls and would give them alcohol, cash, gadgets, and other valuable items.

Lazzaro’s wealth is also under scrutiny in the case. An up-and-coming real estate owner and entrepreneur, his net worth is reportedly more than $2 million, excluding cryptocurrency holdings that are hard to trace. The charges against him carry a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years and a maximum of life in prison.