Family friend of Mark Meadows charged for accepting illegal campaign contribution

A family friend of former Trump White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows has been charged with accepting an illegal campaign contribution, Politico reports.

Lynda Bennett, who ran a failed in a 2020 primary campaign against Madison Cawthorn, accepted a $25,000 contribution from a family member which was given “in the name of another person."

From Politico: "It’s unclear if Bennett has agreed to plead guilty to the felony charge, but the form of the charge against her typically precedes a guilty plea. Details about the allegation were sparse. ... Bennett’s campaign finance records don’t immediately make clear which contributions prosecutors believe to have been unlawful. Bennett’s reports indicate she loaned herself $80,000 at the end of 2019 and paid a portion of it back. Her report terminating her political committee did not list any outstanding balance."

In 2020, campaign finance laws limited individual campaign contributions to $2,800 in the primary and $2,800 in the general for an aggregate total of $5,600 in that campaign cycle. But as Politico points out, candidates could make unlimited donations or loans to their own campaigns.

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Meadows is among those who are facing legal scrutiny for their role in Former President Donald Trump’s effort invalidate the 2020 election'a results.