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| Former Maryland lawmaker Tawanna Gaines sentenced for federal wire fraud | Former Maryland lawmaker Tawanna Gaines sentenced for federal wire fraud |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Former Maryland delegate Tawanna P. Gaines was sentenced to six months in prison Friday for one count of federal wire fraud. | Former Maryland delegate Tawanna P. Gaines was sentenced to six months in prison Friday for one count of federal wire fraud. |
| U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang delivered the sentence after hearing from character witnesses who urged him to show leniency. | U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang delivered the sentence after hearing from character witnesses who urged him to show leniency. |
| Gaines, a Democrat from Prince George’s County, resigned before pleading guilty in October. She admitted to using more than $22,000 in campaign donations to pay for dental work, hairstyling, an Amazon Fire TV stick and other personal expenses. | Gaines, a Democrat from Prince George’s County, resigned before pleading guilty in October. She admitted to using more than $22,000 in campaign donations to pay for dental work, hairstyling, an Amazon Fire TV stick and other personal expenses. |
| Gaines apologized to her family, her constituents and to the people of Maryland before the judge handed down her sentence. | |
| “I took my oath very seriously, but I fell short,” Gaines said. | |
| After serving her prison term, Gaines will be on three years of supervised release that will include two months of home detention. | |
| More than a dozen supporters, including several lawmakers, wrote letters to the judge asking that he consider her long service to the state as he deliberated her sentence. Many described their shock at learning about Gaines’s misuse of campaign funds and described how out of character it seemed. | More than a dozen supporters, including several lawmakers, wrote letters to the judge asking that he consider her long service to the state as he deliberated her sentence. Many described their shock at learning about Gaines’s misuse of campaign funds and described how out of character it seemed. |
| “It is really hard for me to fathom how she let herself get into this situation,” wrote Del. Wendell R. Beitzel (R-Garrett). “I believed, like nearly all of my colleagues, that she was least likely of the members of the House to get caught up in a problem of this nature.” | “It is really hard for me to fathom how she let herself get into this situation,” wrote Del. Wendell R. Beitzel (R-Garrett). “I believed, like nearly all of my colleagues, that she was least likely of the members of the House to get caught up in a problem of this nature.” |
| House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones (D-Baltimore County) told the judge she’s considered Gaines a close friend since Gaines became a member of the House in 2001. That friendship, Jones wrote, “is something that I continue to value.” | House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones (D-Baltimore County) told the judge she’s considered Gaines a close friend since Gaines became a member of the House in 2001. That friendship, Jones wrote, “is something that I continue to value.” |
| “She was always willing to go the extra mile for her Prince George’s County constituents,” Jones wrote. | “She was always willing to go the extra mile for her Prince George’s County constituents,” Jones wrote. |
| A former volunteer in Gaines’s office, Shirley Brown, wrote that when she learned of Gaines’s arrest, she thought, “That is not the Tawanna Gaines I know.” | A former volunteer in Gaines’s office, Shirley Brown, wrote that when she learned of Gaines’s arrest, she thought, “That is not the Tawanna Gaines I know.” |
| “She was always willing and ready to welcome constituents into her office to listen to their concerns,” Brown wrote. “Also, she very fairly and open-mindedly listened to those who wanted her to hear their position on an issue, even if it was different from her position.” | “She was always willing and ready to welcome constituents into her office to listen to their concerns,” Brown wrote. “Also, she very fairly and open-mindedly listened to those who wanted her to hear their position on an issue, even if it was different from her position.” |
| Many supporters noted Gaines’s devotion to her children and grandchildren and said a prison sentence would be devastating for the family. | |
| Gaines’s daughter and campaign treasurer pleaded guilty in November to a count of federal wire fraud. Anitra Edmond, 43, of New Carrollton funneled more than $35,000 designated for the “Friends of Tawanna P. Gaines” campaign committee into funds for her personal use, federal authorities say. | |
| Jones said Thursday she will support legislation that would bar any family member from serving as a campaign treasurer in the future. The House speaker said that “it makes it cleaner” to exclude family members from handling political contributions because “we tend to not be as overly cautious with our family members.” | Jones said Thursday she will support legislation that would bar any family member from serving as a campaign treasurer in the future. The House speaker said that “it makes it cleaner” to exclude family members from handling political contributions because “we tend to not be as overly cautious with our family members.” |
| Erin Cox contributed to this report. | Erin Cox contributed to this report. |
| Frustration and sadness in Prince George’s after lawmaker charged with federal crime | Frustration and sadness in Prince George’s after lawmaker charged with federal crime |
| Former Md. lawmaker Cheryl Glenn charged with bribery, fraud | Former Md. lawmaker Cheryl Glenn charged with bribery, fraud |
| Former Maryland lawmaker Tawanna Gaines pleads guilty to federal wire fraud | Former Maryland lawmaker Tawanna Gaines pleads guilty to federal wire fraud |
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