Abhijit Das, Election Violations, Massachusetts 2021

Former U.S. Congressional Candidate Convicted of Election Violations

A former candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 3rd Congressional District of Massachusetts was convicted of violating the Federal Election Campaign Act and making false statements.

Abhijit Das, a/k/a 'Beej,' 50, of North Andover, Mass., was convicted of one count of accepting excessive campaign contributions, one count of conduit contributions, one count of conversion of campaign funds, and two counts of making a false statement.

The conviction is the result of a two-week trial in federal court in Boston, where a jury found Das guilty of the charges.

According to the government, Das devised a scheme in 2017 to solicit personal loans from friends and close associates in excess of the $2,700 legal limit, and then caused three individuals to contribute approximately $125,000 to his campaign as personal loans to a family member to circumvent Federal Election Commission (FEC) reporting requirements and contribution limits.

Das withdrew approximately $314,500 in funds from his campaign account and used at least $267,000 of these funds to pay outstanding debts for his hotel business relating to vendors, the hotel's yacht, and real estate taxes unrelated to his congressional campaign.

The defendant's scheme also included instructing bank tellers to report the withdrawals as separate withdrawal and deposit transactions, rather than direct transfers, to conceal his conversion of campaign funds.

Das is scheduled to be sentenced on January 17, 2024. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The conviction of Abhijit Das sends a resounding message that the light of justice will always find its way to political candidates who break the law, said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy.

The FBI will continue to pursue investigations like this one to ensure the integrity of our electoral process, said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division.

Defendant: Abhijit Das

Criminal Charges: Accepting excessive campaign contributions, conduit contributions, conversion of campaign funds, and making false statements

City and State: Boston, Massachusetts

Exact Date: June 2021 (indictment), January 17, 2024 (sentencing)

Sentence or Outcome: Convicted, pending sentencing

Dollar Amounts: $2,700 (legal limit), $125,000 (contributions), $314,500 (withdrawals), $267,000 (expenses)

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/former-us-congressional-candidate-convicted-federal-election-campaign-act-violations-and