Ex-driver for Washington mayor pleads guilty to campaign violations

By Ian Simpson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The former driver for Washington Mayor Vincent Gray pleaded guilty on Friday to campaign finance violations, prosecutors said, bringing a long-running federal investigation closer to the outgoing mayor. Mark Long, 47, pleaded guilty in District of Columbia Superior Court to conspiring with businessman Jeffrey Thompson and business owner Eugenia Harris to conceal campaign payments coming from them, the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a statement. Long worked as Gray's chauffeur and was his head of advance operations during Gray's successful 2010 campaign. He is the sixth person to plead guilty to charges involving the mayoral election. Tainted by the scandal, Gray lost the Democratic primary election in April to city Councilmember Muriel Bowser. Gray has denied any wrongdoing since the federal investigation began more than three years ago. A spokesman for the mayor had no comment. Long also admitted to working with Thompson and Harris to conceal payments for his own unsuccessful 2008 campaign for a city council seat, the prosecutors' statement said. Under the plea accord, Long faces from one to 12 months in prison or possibly probation. The agreement calls for him to cooperate with investigators, it said. Thompson pleaded guilty in March to funding a "shadow" effort to help Gray by funneling more than $660,000 to his campaign. Thompson had one of Washington's biggest government contracts as the head of a healthcare management company. (Reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Eric Beech)