Former Indiana congressional candidate Gabriel Whitley, 27, pleaded guilty to lying to the Federal Election Commission by falsifying dozens of campaign contributions to inflate the amount of support his run enjoyed, according to a United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana press release.
While Whitley was running in the 2024 Republican primary election for Indiana’s Seventh Congressional District, he reportedly filed three separate reports to the Federal Election Commission that falsely indicated his campaign had received hundreds of thousands of dollars in contributions from supporters and loans from himself, according to the release.
He fabricated the contributions this while serving as the treasurer of his campaign, “Honest Gabe for Congress,” committee.
Whitley ultimately lost in the for-person GOP primary, receiving 13% of the vote.
Gabe Whitley holds a rally outside the Winfield K. Denton Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Evansville, Ind., May 10, 2023.
According to court documents, in Oct. 2023, Whitley admitted to making up biographical details of 67 people so he could falsely file approximately $222,690 in contributions to his campaign. He then again falsely reported contributions from people he fabricated in January 2024. Finally, in April 2024, he falsely claimed that he had loaned $100,000 to his own campaign.
Whitley could face up to five years in prison if he receives the maximum penalty for this crime.
He is expected to have a change-of-plea hearing and a sentencing hearing at later dates.
More: Former congressional candidate’s arrest stem from threat of ‘shooting him like a pig’
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Contact IndyStar reporter Noe Padilla at npadilla@indystar.com or follow him on X @1NoePadilla.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Gabriel Whitley pleads guilty to fabricating campaign donations