Jul 16, 2008 3:45 pm US/Pacific
S.F. Fundraiser Pleads Guilty To Illegal Donations
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ―
A San Francisco fundraiser pleaded guilty Wednesday to illegally funneling state grant money to the political campaign of former Secretary of State Kevin Shelley, less than a week after being convicted of similar charges in federal court.
Julie Lee, 62, a former foundation executive director, entered her plea in San Francisco Superior Court to nine counts including grand theft, embezzlement and forgery.
Federal and state prosecutors said Shelley had helped Lee's foundation secure a $500,000 grant for a community center and that Lee funneled $125,000 of it to Shelley.
There is no indication Shelley knew about the illegal donations, prosecutors said. The Democrat later resigned as secretary of state in 2005 amid allegations that his office misused federal election money.
Calls to Lee's attorneys were not immediately returned Wednesday.
Lee's plea came five days after a federal jury in Sacramento found her guilty of two counts of mail fraud and three counts of attempted witness tampering for funneling the money to Shelley's campaign.
Lee was scheduled for sentencing in the federal case on Sept. 23. She faces 20 years for each of the two mail fraud counts and 10 years for each of the three counts of witness tampering.
In the state case, Lee faces a maximum of 14 years in prison and will be sentenced on Oct. 17.
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