Trump-backed Asheville, WNC House candidate sentenced for federal felony election crime

A Western North Carolina congressional candidate backed by President Donald Trump has been sentenced for a federal campaign finance violation.

Lynda Bennett of Haywood County received probation and is to pay $7,600 in fines and assessments after hiding a $25,000 illegal loan, according to a June 20 ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Christopher R. Cooper for the District of Columbia.

Federal prosecutors had recommended that sentence for Bennett, 65, who lost in a 2020 GOP primary runoff to Madison Cawthorn, the eventual general election winner and one-term congressman.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Seth Rothstein and Ryan Crosswell, as well as a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves did not respond to requests for comment.

In a June 13 sentencing memorandum, the prosecutors said, voters were entitled to know how much money candidates for federal office are raising and "from where the money is coming."

Campaign finance laws serve that purpose, they said.

"When candidates violate these laws, they thwart the voting public’s ability to make informed decisions at the ballot box. That is what happened here. Defendant Lynda Bennett violated the provision of the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) that ensures the disclosure of true donors," the memorandum said.

In a plea deal, Bennett admitted guilt March 8 to one felony count of accepting a contribution in the name of another.

Bennett, a real estate agent and former county GOP vice chair, was part of a large field of Republicans looking to replace Mark Meadows who was vacating the 11th District seat to become Trump's chief of staff.

Bennett was a friend of Meadows' wife and endorsed by Meadows and later Trump.

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Campaign laws limited individual donations to $2,800 per primary and general election, for an annual total of $5,600.

But in 2019, Bennett intentionally exceeded that limit, prosecutors said.

"In need of money for her primary election, she asked a relative for a $25,000 loan, but mindful of her legal obligations, she hid its source. After depositing the money into a personal bank account, she then caused an $80,000 transfer from her personal bank account into the bank account of her authorized federal campaign committee," the U.S. Attorney's Office said. Bennett reported the loan as "personal funds of the candidate," rather than from a person who was limited to $2,800.

While prosecutors said the campaign finance laws were important for election transparency, they said they found Bennett − who produced multiple letters of support from a pastor, relatives and friends − to have a "consistent history of being a law-abiding citizen."

They also said the source of the money was not "nefarious," but "rather a loving relative" and that her campaign later returned the money.

They also noted she would carry the burden of a federal felony conviction.

Bennett could not be reached for comment. Her attorney, Kearns Davis, said she was happy to be done with the legal process.

"Lynda is pleased with the result today, and very grateful to the family and friends who supported her through this process. She is thankful to be putting it behind her," Davis said.

Joel Burgess has lived in WNC for more than 20 years, covering politics, government and other news. He's written award-winning stories on topics ranging from gerrymandering to police use of force. Got a tip? Contact Burgess at jburgess@citizentimes.com, 828-713-1095 or on Twitter @AVLreporter. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Trump-backed Asheville, WNC House candidate sentenced felony violation