Third Ron Paul aide to be sentenced for campaign violations

DES MOINES, Iowa — The third top official of Ron Paul's 2012 presidential campaign is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court in Des Moines for conspiring to cover up campaign payments to a former Iowa state senator.

Deputy campaign manager Dimitri Kesari was convicted of conspiracy and three charges related to false campaign reporting, the same charges for which a jury convicted the campaign's chairman Jesse Benton and its manager John Tate.

Benton and Tate were sentenced Tuesday to two years' probation and six months of home confinement.

Kesari's hearing is set for Wednesday morning.

The men have argued they broke no laws when they paid $73,000 to former Sen. Kent Sorenson, who endorsed Paul six days before the 2012 Iowa caucuses.

Prosecutors say hiding the payment in campaign financial reports was illegal.