A Philadelphia man is facing felony charges for allegedly looting over $10,000 from a district attorney’s campaign coffers to fund a spree of personal purchases — including airline tickets, designer clothes, and high-end electronics. Lewis F. Thomas III, who served as campaign manager from December 2016 to June 2017, is accused of brazenly siphoning funds meant for a public office bid to enrich himself.
Thomas exploited his position to make repeated unauthorized withdrawals and purchases, investigators say. He spent more than $1,500 on iTunes transactions alone, bought a Macbook Pro and an Apple Watch from the campaign account, and never returned the equipment after the primary ended. Authorities confirm the items were for personal use and not campaign-related in any way.
Cash withdrawals were made without documentation, and investigators tied $10,070 in deposits directly to Thomas’s personal bank account — matching the timing and amounts taken from the campaign fund. Despite being entrusted with donor money, Thomas failed to report these transactions on official finance disclosures, violating state election law and financial accountability standards.
Even more egregious, Thomas allegedly used the candidate’s personal bank account information without consent to pay $400 to his son’s private school in October 2017 — months after his official role had ended. The unauthorized transaction was discovered during a forensic audit of campaign and personal finances conducted by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General.
Attorney General Josh Shapiro slammed the betrayal of public trust. “When entrusted to run a campaign, managing the donations to ensure they are used in proper and ethical ways is paramount,” Shapiro said. “This defendant took advantage of his access to campaign donations to fund his personal endeavors. Deceiving donors and taking advantage of a position of power is nefarious—it’s illegal.”
Thomas is now charged with Theft by Unlawful Taking and Receiving Stolen Property. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General James Price. Lewis F. Thomas III is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The investigation underscores growing scrutiny over campaign finance abuses in local political races across Pennsylvania.
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Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Agency: Pennsylvania AG
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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