Photo by aperryproductions

Vernon Hawkins, a former campaign aide and adviser to Mayor Vincent Gray, pleaded guilty today to one count of lying to federal investigators.

In federal court, Hawkins admitted to his role in the “get out the vote” effort, or shadow campaign, for Mayor Vincent Gray orchestrated in 2010 by a businessman referred to as Executive A. While the identity of Executive A was not disclosed in court, many believe he is prominent D.C. contractor Jeffrey Thompson.

Hawkins said he delivered two envelopes containing $4,000 in cash on two separate occasions to a caterer who served as transportation coordinator for the GOTV effort. This was done so the caterer wouldn’t be able to speak to federal investigators.

In late November or early December of 2011, the caterer told Hawkins a federal investigator had left a business card in his door. Hawkins then told Jeanne Harris, an associate of Thompson’s who has already pleaded guilty to her role in the shadow campaign, about this. After speaking with Executive A, Harris then told Hawkins the caterer needed to leave town for two or four weeks. Hawkins delivered the first envelope of cash to the caterer in a Southeast D.C. grocery store parking lt.

In January 2012, Hawkins ran into the caterer at a community meeting. Another envelope handoff was arranged so the caterer would leave town again. In August of that year, Hawkins met with agents from the FBI and representatives from the U.S. Attorney’s office. He lied during that meeting about helping to send the caterer out of town.

When asked if he intentionally lied to the investigators about helping send the caterer out of D.C., Hawkins replied, “It happened so fast. I wasn’t thinking.” He eventually admitted to knowingly lying to federal agents, but maintained that he acted as a messenger.

With his guilty plea, Hawkins will serve no more than 16 months in prison.

Update: Ron Machen, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, released the following statement about Hawkins’ guilty plea: “Today Vernon Hawkins became the fourth person to plead guilty to a felony for trying to cover up corruption in the 2010 mayoral election. … Vernon Hawkins was at ground zero of a scheme to design, staff, and execute an off-the-books shadow campaign. After the election, he and his fellow campaign aides sought to impede our investigation by lying to the FBI, shredding documents, creating fake paperwork, and sending witnesses out of the jurisdiction. This guilty plea takes us one step closer to understanding the extent of the deception that tainted the 2010 campaign.”