Michelle Bond, Campaign Finance Violations, New York 2022

Former Congressional Candidate Charged with Campaign Finance Violations

In a shocking turn of events, Michelle Bond, a 45-year-old resident of Potomac, Maryland, has been charged with violating campaign finance laws in connection with her unsuccessful run for Congress in 2022.

According to the indictment, Bond, a high-level executive at a digital assets trade group, used hundreds of thousands of dollars from corporate coffers and other illicit sources to fund her campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives. Her romantic partner, CC-1, a high-level executive at a Bahamas-based subsidiary of a now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange, allegedly orchestrated a sham consulting agreement between Bond and the Exchange, resulting in a $400,000 payment to Bond.

Bond then used this money to illegally finance her campaign, while CC-1 wired hundreds of thousands of dollars to Bond’s personal bank account, which she used to make large loans and contributions to her campaign. The indictment alleges that Bond and CC-1’s conduct violated federal campaign finance laws, including prohibitions on corporate contributions, excessive contributions by an individual, and conduit contributions.

The indictment also claims that Bond attempted to conceal her and CC-1’s conduct by making false statements to a congressional committee and the Federal Election Commission, and lying to her employer at the time. For example, in a financial disclosure form filed with the House Ethics Committee, Bond described the $400,000 Exchange Payment as consulting income, while in talking points prepared for a meeting with the board of her Trade Group, Bond acknowledged that she did not work for the Exchange and that the Exchange gave the money for her campaign.

Bond is charged with one count of conspiracy to cause unlawful campaign contributions, one count of causing and accepting excessive campaign contributions, one count of causing and receiving an unlawful corporate contribution, and one count of causing and receiving a conduit contribution. Each of the crimes charged carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

Bond will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang. The case is a stark reminder of the importance of holding politicians and candidates accountable for their actions, and the need for transparency and honesty in campaign finance.

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