{"id":1566486,"date":"2022-07-22T12:38:08","date_gmt":"2022-07-22T16:38:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1566486"},"modified":"2022-07-22T12:49:41","modified_gmt":"2022-07-22T16:49:41","slug":"only-black-lives-matter-backed-federal-candidate-charged-with-wire-fraud-scheme-involving-campaign-funds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/only-black-lives-matter-backed-federal-candidate-charged-with-wire-fraud-scheme-involving-campaign-funds\/","title":{"rendered":"Only Black Lives Matter-Backed Federal Candidate Charged With Wire Fraud Scheme Involving Campaign Funds"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fonly-black-lives-matter-backed-federal-candidate-charged-with-wire-fraud-scheme-involving-campaign-funds%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1566486&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div id=\"speechkit-wrapper\" class=\"speechkit-wrapper\">\n<p><span class=\"label-bg\">NEW<\/span>You can now listen to Fox News articles!\n  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"speakable\">The only federal\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/politics\/elections\/democrats\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Democratic candidate<\/a>\u00a0backed by the Black Lives Matter PAC this election cycle is now facing a wire fraud charge for routing campaign and party funds to outside individuals and companies, and using the money on personal expenses, including gambling.<\/p>\n<p class=\"speakable\">The Black Lives Matter PAC, a BLM Global Network Foundation-affiliated committee, in July 2021\u00a0pushed more\u00a0than $100,000 into independent expenditures backing Karen Carter Peterson&#8217;s failed attempt at entering Congress in Louisiana&#8217;s 2nd district, federal records reviewed by Fox News Digital show.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Peterson, a former Louisiana Democratic Party chair and state senator, resigned from the state senate in April, citing her mental health and gambling addiction.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>However, Peterson was charged this month in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/politics\/judiciary\/federal-courts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">federal court<\/a>\u00a0with one count of wire fraud for using campaign and party monies on personal expenses.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/black-lives-matter-paid-4m-board-secretary-co-founders-brother-father-child\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>BLACK LIVES MATTER PAID NEARLY $4M TO BOARD SECRETARY, CO-FOUNDER&#8217;S BROTHER, AND FATHER OF HER CHILD<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" \/><source media=\"(min-width: 767px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" \/><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" \/><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/640\/320\/Peterson1.jpg?ve=1&#038;tl=1\" alt=\"Karen Carter Peterson, a former longtime Democratic Louisiana state senator, is facing one federal wire fraud charge for diverting campaign and party funds for personal use.\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p>\n      Karen Carter Peterson, a former longtime Democratic Louisiana state senator, is facing one federal wire fraud charge for diverting campaign and party funds for personal use.<br \/>\n      <span class=\"copyright\">((Paras Griffin\/Getty Images))<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Peterson&#8217;s seven-year scheme\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/lailluminator.com\/2022\/07\/14\/court-records-detail-karen-carter-peterson-wire-fraud-scheme\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">involved diverting<\/a> state\u00a0campaign and party cash to four individuals and four companies, which reportedly cashed the checks and provided Peterson with most or all of the funds, according to the Louisiana Illuminator.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Peterson then used the money on personal expenses, including gambling-related costs. She also filed &#8220;false and misleading&#8221; campaign finance reports that &#8220;mischaracterized expenditures as being for legitimate purposes related to her campaign or the holding of public office,&#8221; the Justice Department wrote in a July 14 press release.<\/p>\n<p>Peterson publicly addressed the charges that same day and apologized for her actions.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/us\/black-lives-matter-silent-2020-black-murder-spike-experts-blm-defund-contributed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>BLM SILENT WHEN CONFRONTED WITH DATA SHOWING MASSIVE 2020 SPIKE IN BLACK MURDER VICTIMS<\/strong>\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Today marks an important step in my life-long recovery as I continue to address my gambling addiction,&#8221; Peterson wrote on Twitter. &#8220;I sincerely apologize for the impact from my compulsive behavior resulting from this addiction.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I have made full repayment of funds used as a result of my addiction and I will continue to make amends,&#8221; she added. &#8220;Staying true to the steps of my ongoing recovery, I have been forthright, honest, and fully cooperative with the US Attorneys&#8217; Office in their investigation.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Peterson, who is scheduled to appear in federal court on August 1, faces up to 20 years in prison, up to $250,000 in fines and up to three years of supervised release after imprisonment, the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/politics\/justice-department\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Justice Department<\/a>\u00a0said in the press release.<\/p>\n<p>Brian Capitelli, Peterson&#8217;s attorney, told reporters last week that she has entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors, KPLC News reported.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/mom-plans-legal-action-seven-year-old-girl-punished-school-blm-poster-said-life\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>MOM PLANS LEGAL ACTION AFTER 7-YEAR-OLD GIRL PUNISHED BY SCHOOL FOR BLM POSTER THAT SAID &#8216;ANY LIFE&#8217;<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" \/><source media=\"(min-width: 767px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" \/><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" \/><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/640\/320\/Peterson2.jpg?ve=1&#038;tl=1\" alt=\"Former Louisiana state Senator Karen Carter Peterson was the sole federal candidate supported by Black Lives Matter PAC this cycle, federal records show.\u00a0\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p>\n      Former Louisiana state Senator Karen Carter Peterson was the sole federal candidate supported by Black Lives Matter PAC this cycle, federal records show.\u00a0<br \/>\n      <span class=\"copyright\">((Paras Griffin\/Getty Images for 2016 Essence Festival))<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Capitelli did not respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment by press time.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Peterson, meanwhile, is the only federal candidate the Black Lives Matter PAC has supported this cycle through June, according to their records. The committee spent $35,000 last year on nonfederal independent expenditures supporting Chi Oss\u00e9, a New York City council member.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>So far this year, the PAC has disbursed roughly $168,000. Of that amount, $60,600 &#8211; or more than a third &#8211; has gone to Bowers Consulting, a firm run by Shalomyah Bowers, the PAC&#8217;s treasurer and the BLM Global Network Foundation&#8217;s board secretary.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/apps-products?pid=AppArticleLink\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><u>CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Bowers&#8217; consulting firm\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/black-lives-matter-paid-4m-board-secretary-co-founders-brother-father-child\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">also received $2.1 million<\/a>\u00a0from the BLM Global Network Foundation between July 2020 and June 2021, their tax forms revealed.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Black Lives Matter did not respond to a Fox News Digital inquiry on their support of Peterson.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-meta\">\n<p>Joe Schoffstall is a Fox News reporter<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! The only federal\u00a0Democratic candidate\u00a0backed by the Black Lives Matter PAC this election cycle is now facing a wire fraud charge for routing<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1575062,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1566486","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1566486","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1566486"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1566486\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1575062"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1566486"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1566486"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1566486"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}