Almost 55 months after confessing felonious conduct, Teamster money-laundering scandal figure, Jere Nash, has finally been sentenced. U.S. Dist. Judge Thomas P. Griesa (S.D.N.Y., Nixon) sentenced Nash Apr. 9 to a mere two years probation for his role in a series of schemes which lead to the embezzlement of some $885,000 from the Int’l Bhd. of Teamsters’ treasury and to $538,100 in illegal campaign contributions to the failed reelection campaign of expelled IBT president Ron Carey. The sentencing appears to have been hush hush: the four N.Y.C. major dailies and the two Washington, D.C., dailies apparently did not cover the sentencing (as of Apr. 15), which is surprising given the red hot coverage of the scandal in the past.
Nash was Carey’s campaign manager and pled guilty Sept. 18, 1997, to one count of conspiracy and one count of making false statements. Griesa agreed to show leniency to Nash, who served as the main prosecution witness in the failed perjury trial of Carey in Oct. 2001. “I have no intention of imposing a prison sentence,” Griesa told Nash. Nash also testified against ex-IBT political director William Hamilton, who was convicted in Nov. 1999 and is serving a three-year prison term. Griesa ordered Nash to pay $25,000 in restitution, which has already been paid.
A bearded, bespectacled Nash apologized to the IBT before sentencing: “I felt so strongly about the need for Ron Carey to get elected that I was willing to substitute my judgment for the collective judgment of the union members that voted, and that was wrong.” Nash faced up to three years in prison under sentencing guidelines, although prosecutors asked for less time because of his “substantial assistance.” Griesa granted the request, noting that he had given probation to two other campaign aides convicted in the scheme. [Bloomberg News 4/9/02] This apparently was not a reference to Martin Davis and Michael Ansara, both of whom worked with Nash to facilitate the schemes and whom pled guilty on the same day. There has been no report that these two have been sentenced. Two minor scandal figures fund-raiser Charles Blitz and disbarred attorney Nathaniel Charny both received slaps on the wrists in 1998 and 2000, respectively.
Attention opposition researchers: while awaiting sentencing, Nash kept busy. In the Mar. 2002 issue of Campaign & Elections, Nash placed the following classified ad: “DEMOCRATIC CONSULTING GROUP, INC., P.O. Box 1488 Jackson, MS 39215, 601-352-7037 Jere Nash FAX 601-949-8492.” Research to date has not uncovered any of the convicted felon’s clients; however, if you find the Democratic Consulting Group working for a political candidate or some other political organization this election cycle, please contact the Union Corruption Update.