'Mercenary' donor gets 12 years in campaign finance scheme
0A once high-flying political fundraiser who prosecutors said gave illegal campaign contributions to Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Lindsey Graham and a host of other U.S. politicians was sentenced Thursday to 12 years behind bars.Imaad Zuberi, who was accused of ingratiating himself with politicos in both major parties and peddling the resulting influence to foreign governments, pleaded guilty to charges of tax evasion, campaign finance violations and failing to register as a foreign agent.He also was ordered to pay nearly $16 million in restitution and a nearly $2 million fine. Federal prosecutors described Zuberi, who reports to prison May 25, as a 'mercenary' political donor who gave to anyone he thought could help him. Pay to play, he explained to clients, was just 'how America work(s).' Prosecutors asked U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips for a stiff sentence, calling the scope of Zuberi's scheme unprecedented. The Los Angeles businessman's crimes included unregistered lobbying for governments with spotty human rights records like Sri Lanka and Turkey as well as a Ukrainian oligarch close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, prosecutors said.Phillips noted the sophistication of Zuberi's straw donor scheme and also spoke of the role such campaign finance investigations play in preserving the integrity of American elections.The sentence comes after former President Donald Trump recently pardoned others who had been convicted or pleaded guilty to similar foreign-influence-related crimes, including his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, and Elliott Broidy, a major Trump fundraiser.Zuberi's hefty sentence 'sent a loud message that we have to stop such conduct to restore the public faith in our institutions,' Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. O'Brien told The Associated Press. Share this article Share 'This case shows that foreign influence extends well beyond what has been frequently discussed in public discourse,' he added.Zuberi, 50, maintained that his wrongdoing had been limited and asked to be credited for years of cooperation with federal and local law enforcement. His attorneys noted he already has paid more than $10 million in restitution.'I'm deeply sorry and, of course, humiliated,' Zuberi told the judge. 'I have no excuse for what I've done.'Some of Zuberi's cooperation remains under seal. Phillips, citing national security interests, closed the courtroom for part of Thursday's proceedings to discuss classified information Zuberi filed in an effort to reduce his sentence. Zuberi´s attorneys asked Phillips to credit him for a list of law enforcement leads and intelligence he provided to the federal government, according to people familiar with the court filings. Zuberi, a Pakistani-American who has extensive business dealings overseas, was in frequent contact with a CIA officer over the years and bragged to associates of his ties to the intelligence community, the AP reported last year.The sentencing came just days after hund