Photo by aperryproductions

A third associate of Mayor Vince Gray’s 2010 campaign pleaded guilty today to campaign finance violations, offering evidence of a widespread off-the-books shadow campaign to help Mayor Vince Gray in his run against Mayor Adrian Fenty.

The shadow campaign. Photo by @alanblinder

According to a statement of offense provided by U.S. Attorney for the District o Columbia Ron Machen, local business owner Jeanne Clarke Harris played a central role in collecting money from friends, family and contacts and illegally using it to fund a variety of expenses for the off-the-books campaign.

All told, Harris and a co-conspirator, thought to be campaign mega-contributor and contractor Jeffrey Thompson, raised some $653,000 for the effort, some of which was used to buy materials like 4,250 yard signs, 5,000 T-shirts and 120,000 door knockers. Money was also used to pay staff and rent equipment for the shadow campaign. (According to reports filed with the Office of Campaign Finance, Gray’s campaign officially spent $2 million, while Fenty’s spent $5 million.)

Harris also attempted to destroy evidence of the scheme, and lied on her tax returns to conceal the fact that she was using two of her businesses to funnel money to the shadow campaign. At one point, the statement says, Thompson encouraged Harris to leave the country—to Bahia, Brazil—to evade the federal investigation.

Of course, the standing question is whether or not Gray himself knew of what was happening. The statement of offense doesn’t say so, though it does say that Harris and Thompson coordinated with Gray’s campaign. (They apparently went as far as buying goods from the same vendors.) The two other people who have pleaded guilty so far—Thomas Gore and Howard Brooks—officially worked for the campaign.

At a press conference this afternoon and in charging documents, Machen additionally said that such straw donations have been used in past campaigns—both locally and federally—since at least 2001. Thompson was known to spread his money far and wide; Councilmember Vincent Orange (D-At Large) recently admitted that he received $26,000 in suspicious money order campaign contributions from Thompson associates.

Harris could face between 30 and 37 months in prison and pay fines ranging from $6,000 to $60,000. She has also agreed to pay restitution to the IRS for taxes, interest and penalties owed.

Eugenia C. Harris – Signed Statement of Offense