Gadhia

A circle of prominent Baltimore businessmen -- including a deputy Cabinet official in the Glendening administration -- is circulating an anonymous letter trying to raise $100,000 to defend the governor's ousted campaign treasurer against allegations that he laundered election money.Seeking to distance himself from an FBI investigation into the charges, the governor forced Lalit H. Gadhia to resign as his campaign treasurer last month and take an unpaid leave from his $80,000-a-year appointed job as deputy secretary of international economic development.

Three Maryland residents have paid a total of $15,500 in civil penalties for their roles in laundering campaign contributions in a 1994 scheme orchestrated by one-time prominent political fund-raiser Lalit H. Gadhia, according to federal election officials.The Federal Election Commission also sent "admonishment" letters to about 40 others who were involved in making or soliciting the illegal contributions, closing the agency's investigation of the matter, a spokeswoman said.In May 1996, Gadhia pleaded guilty to election fraud for laundering at least $46,000 in campaign contributions, money that was given to Gadhia in 1994 by an official at the embassy of India.

Lalit H. Gadhia, who is under investigation for possible violation of campaign finance laws, resigned two months ago from his job at the state's economic development agency, state officials said yesterday.Mr. Gadhia resigned June 30 as assistant secretary for the international division at the former Department of Economic and Employment Development. His resignation was not unexpected.He had taken an unpaid leave from the $80,000-a-year job in May after a report in The Sun questioned whether he had broken federal laws in raising money for a political action committee that promotes the interests of Indian-Americans.

A key fund-raiser for Maryland Democrats was sentenced to three months in prison yesterday for orchestrating a scheme to launder $46,000 in illegal political contributions from an official from the Indian Embassy.Lalit H. Gadhia, 57, a Baltimore attorney who served as Gov. Parris N. Glendening's campaign treasurer, also will serve six months of home detention after his release from prison. U.S. District Judge Frederic N. Smalkin did not fine Gadhia.Smalkin said he was imposing a prison term to send a message "that people inside the process will not be able to manipulate it without some kind of consequences."

When politicians wanted to tap into Baltimore's Indian-American community, Lalit H. Gadhia was the man to see.The diminutive lawyer with the gracious manner established himself as a one-man link between Baltimore's Asian-Indian community and would-be mayors, governors and presidents."

A key fund-raiser for Maryland Democrats was sentenced to three months in prison yesterday for orchestrating a scheme to launder $46,000 in illegal political contributions from an official from the Indian Embassy.Lalit H. Gadhia, 57, a Baltimore attorney who served as Gov. Parris N. Glendening's campaign treasurer, also will serve six months of home detention after his release from prison. U.S. District Judge Frederic N. Smalkin did not fine Gadhia.Smalkin said he was imposing a prison term to send a message "that people inside the process will not be able to manipulate it without some kind of consequences."

THERE ARE COUNTRIES where money must be paid to buy influence to get heard. It is dismaying that the U.S. is one of them. Governments of the poorest people think they need to pay high-priced public relations or law firms to make their case to the American people or government. Usually they could do it more persuasively themselves.The worst case would be a violation of law. Baltimore lawyer Lalit H. Gadhia, in pleading guilty to election fraud, admitted facts which suggest that someone in India's embassy thought the U.S. to be a most corrupt country.

A prominent fund-raiser for Maryland Democrats pleaded guilty yesterday to election fraud in a scheme to launder at least $46,000 in illegal campaign contributions he received from an official at the embassy of India in 1994.Lalit H. Gadhia -- a 57-year-old immigration lawyer and former campaign treasurer to Gov. Parris N. Glendening -- confessed in U.S. District Court in Baltimore to his role in the scheme to influence congressional lawmakers involved in foreign-policy decisions affecting India.

Federal investigators will call witnesses to a grand jury today to describe how Lalit H. Gadhia -- a Baltimore lawyer and longtime Democratic Party fund-raiser -- allegedly steered thousands of dollars in illegal contributions to an obscure New Mexico political fund.Six witnesses confirmed this week that they were subpoenaed to testify after telling the FBI that they were approached by Mr. Gadhia or his nephew in October and asked to contribute up to $1,000 each with the understanding they would be reimbursed.

Three Maryland residents have paid a total of $15,500 in civil penalties for their roles in laundering campaign contributions in a 1994 scheme orchestrated by one-time prominent political fund-raiser Lalit H. Gadhia, according to federal election officials.The Federal Election Commission also sent "admonishment" letters to about 40 others who were involved in making or soliciting the illegal contributions, closing the agency's investigation of the matter, a spokeswoman said.In May 1996, Gadhia pleaded guilty to election fraud for laundering at least $46,000 in campaign contributions, money that was given to Gadhia in 1994 by an official at the embassy of India.

THERE ARE COUNTRIES where money must be paid to buy influence to get heard. It is dismaying that the U.S. is one of them. Governments of the poorest people think they need to pay high-priced public relations or law firms to make their case to the American people or government. Usually they could do it more persuasively themselves.The worst case would be a violation of law. Baltimore lawyer Lalit H. Gadhia, in pleading guilty to election fraud, admitted facts which suggest that someone in India's embassy thought the U.S. to be a most corrupt country.

A prominent fund-raiser for Maryland Democrats pleaded guilty yesterday to election fraud in a scheme to launder at least $46,000 in illegal campaign contributions he received from an official at the embassy of India in 1994.Lalit H. Gadhia -- a 57-year-old immigration lawyer and former campaign treasurer to Gov. Parris N. Glendening -- confessed in U.S. District Court in Baltimore to his role in the scheme to influence congressional lawmakers involved in foreign-policy decisions affecting India.

Lalit H. Gadhia, who is under investigation for possible violation of campaign finance laws, resigned two months ago from his job at the state's economic development agency, state officials said yesterday.Mr. Gadhia resigned June 30 as assistant secretary for the international division at the former Department of Economic and Employment Development. His resignation was not unexpected.He had taken an unpaid leave from the $80,000-a-year job in May after a report in The Sun questioned whether he had broken federal laws in raising money for a political action committee that promotes the interests of Indian-Americans.

Now comes Baltimore lawyer Lalit Gadhia to answer inquiries of federal authorities who wonder whether he broke laws controlling the way money is raised for political campaigns.Mr. Gadhia follows lobbyist, Bruce C. Bereano, into the glare of prosecutorial attention.Until his indictment and changes in state law curbed his activities, Bereano was Maryland's prime mover of fund-raiser tickets. He has appealed his conviction on mail fraud charges -- flowing from campaign fund-raising activities -- and remains active on the Maryland circuit of $15-to-$250 bull roasts, golf tournaments and bay cruises.

A circle of prominent Baltimore businessmen -- including a deputy Cabinet official in the Glendening administration -- is circulating an anonymous letter trying to raise $100,000 to defend the governor's ousted campaign treasurer against allegations that he laundered election money.Seeking to distance himself from an FBI investigation into the charges, the governor forced Lalit H. Gadhia to resign as his campaign treasurer last month and take an unpaid leave from his $80,000-a-year appointed job as deputy secretary of international economic development.

Federal investigators will call witnesses to a grand jury today to describe how Lalit H. Gadhia -- a Baltimore lawyer and longtime Democratic Party fund-raiser -- allegedly steered thousands of dollars in illegal contributions to an obscure New Mexico political fund.Six witnesses confirmed this week that they were subpoenaed to testify after telling the FBI that they were approached by Mr. Gadhia or his nephew in October and asked to contribute up to $1,000 each with the understanding they would be reimbursed.

The FBI is poring over bank records and interviewing dozens of potential witnesses in what appears to be a far-reaching investigation of Lalit H. Gadhia, a Baltimore lawyer who has been a key campaign fund-raiser for Maryland Democrats, including Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke.Mr. Gadhia, 56, also is under investigation by the Federal Election Commission over allegations he steered thousands of dollars in illegal contributions into an obscure New Mexico political action committee in October.Officials for both agencies said their policies prohibit them from confirming or denying the existence of an investigation.

Lalit H. Gadhia, a Baltimore lawyer who has been a key fund-raiser for Maryland Democrats, resigned yesterday as campaign treasurer to Gov. Parris N. Glendening pending an investigation into reports that he steered thousands of dollars in illegal contributions into a New Mexico political fund.Mr. Gadhia also took a leave of absence without pay from his $80,000-a-year job as deputy secretary for international economic affairs, a post to which he was appointed by Mr. Glendening soon after Mr. Glendening's victory in the Maryland governor's race.

The FBI is poring over bank records and interviewing dozens of potential witnesses in what appears to be a far-reaching investigation of Lalit H. Gadhia, a Baltimore lawyer who has been a key campaign fund-raiser for Maryland Democrats, including Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke.Mr. Gadhia, 56, also is under investigation by the Federal Election Commission over allegations he steered thousands of dollars in illegal contributions into an obscure New Mexico political action committee in October.Officials for both agencies said their policies prohibit them from confirming or denying the existence of an investigation.

Lalit H. Gadhia, a Baltimore lawyer who has been a key fund-raiser for Maryland Democrats, resigned yesterday as campaign treasurer to Gov. Parris N. Glendening pending an investigation into reports that he steered thousands of dollars in illegal contributions into a New Mexico political fund.Mr. Gadhia also took a leave of absence without pay from his $80,000-a-year job as deputy secretary for international economic affairs, a post to which he was appointed by Mr. Glendening soon after Mr. Glendening's victory in the Maryland governor's race.