Two Political Consultants, Jerry Lundergan and Dale Emmons, Convicted for Concealing Corporate Contributions to U.S. Senate Campaign

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The jury convicted Dale C. Emmons [left], of conspiracy, making false statements and falsification of documents; the jury also convicted Gerald G. Lundergan [right], of conspiracy, causing the submission of false statements and causing the falsification of documents.

LEXINGTON, KY – federal jury in Kentucky found two men guilty of conspiring to use more than $206,670 of corporate funds to make contributions to the campaign of a candidate for United States Senate and for causing the concealment of these contributions from the Federal Election Commission (FEC). 

Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Robert M. Duncan Jr. for the Eastern District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge James Robert Brown Jr. of the FBI’s Louisville Field Office made the announcement.

Following a five-week trial, the jury convicted Gerald G. Lundergan of Lexington, Kentucky, of one count of conspiracy, one count of making corporate campaign contributions, four counts of causing the submission of false statements to the FEC and four counts of causing the falsification of documents with the intent to obstruct and impede a matter within the FEC’s jurisdiction. The jury convicted Dale C. Emmons of Richmond, Kentucky, of one count of conspiracy, two counts of making corporate campaign contributions, two counts of causing the submission of false statements and two counts of causing the falsification of documents with the intent to obstruct and impede. 

According to the evidence presented at trial, Lundergan used the funds of S.R. Holding Company Inc. (S.R. Holding), a company he owned, to pay for services provided by consultants and vendors to a campaign for a United States Senate seat in the 2014 election cycle.  The candidate for this seat was Lundergan’s daughter, Alison Lundergan Grimes.  The evidence established that Lundergan caused the issuance of a number of payments from S.R. Holding funds for services that included audio-video production, lighting, recorded telephone calls and campaign consulting, between July 2013 and December 2015. 

The corporate contributions also included monthly payments from S.R. Holding to Emmons and his company during this period.  Emmons provided services to the campaign and sought and received compensation from Lundergan and S.R. Holding.   Emmons also used the funds of his corporation, Emmons & Company Inc., to pay other vendors and a campaign worker for services rendered to the campaign.  Those services included recorded telephone calls, technological support services, and other campaign-related expenses. 

The evidence established that Lundergan and Emmons concealed these activities from other officials associated with the campaign.  Their concealments caused the campaign unwittingly to file false reports with the FEC because the reports failed to disclose the source and amount of the corporate contributions. 

Deputy Chief Robert J. Heberle of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew T. Boone and Kate K. Smith are prosecuting the case.  

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