Sam Patten, a lobbyist who admitted to using $50,000 from a pro-Russia Ukrainian politician to get the Ukrainian tickets to President Trump's inauguration, was sentenced to three years probation on Friday.
Patten was investigated as part of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe based on his extensive work with Konstantin Kilimnik, the aide to Paul Manafort charged by Mueller. In August, Patten pleaded guilty to working as an unregistered foreign agent, saying he bought the Trump tickets with the Ukrainian's money even though presidential inaugural committees can't accept foreign donations. Yet he also agreed to cooperate with Mueller — something U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson cited when giving Patten a lighter sentence Friday.
Patten first met Kilimnik while working for a GOP-linked advocacy group in Russia and eventually founded a lobbying group with Kilimnik. Kilimnik has yet to go to trial for his charges, but Manafort, Trump's former campaign chair, has been sentenced to prison time by Jackson, the same judge who sentenced Patten on Friday. Jackson said Friday that Manafort's post-plea deal conduct was "more egregious" than Patten's, which is why she granted Patten's request for leniency.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Patten was fined $5,000 and will have to complete 500 hours of "hands-on" community service, along with three years of probation.
-
Brazil’s Bolsonaro sentenced to 27 years for coup attemptSpeed Read Bolsonaro was convicted of attempting to stay in power following his 2022 election loss
-
Cameron House Resort & Spa: a luxurious lakeside havenThe Week Recommends This stunning five-star resort on the shores of Loch Lomond is perfect for a special Scottish getaway
-
Albania’s AI government minister: a portent of things to come?In The Spotlight A bot called Diella has been tasked with tackling the country's notorious corruption problem
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to TrumpSpeed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raidsSpeed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raidSpeed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearingSpeed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mountSpeed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own listspeed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battleSpeed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants
