KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Former Jackson County Executive Mike Sanders and his former Chief of Staff Calvin Williford pleaded guilty Friday to conspiracy to defraud political campaign funds, according to a news release from the Department of Justice.
Sanders, 50, and Williford, 60, each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
The news release says according to admissions made in connection with their pleas, Sanders was the elected Jackson County Executive from January 2007 until December 2015. Before serving as County Executive, Sanders was the elected Prosecuting Attorney for Jackson County. Williford was a senior staff member for Sanders, and then later chief of staff, in the Office of the County Executive from 2007 to December 2015. The news release said before that, Williford served as Sanders's Director of Public Affairs at the Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.
The news release from the Department of Justice said Sanders and Williford defrauded political committees that Sanders was affiliated with by converting campaign contributions for their personal use. Sanders and Williford misappropriated the money by directing the political committees to issue checks to certain people who performed little or no campaign-related work. Instead, those people cashed the checks and then returned a portion of the money to Sanders or Williford, who used the cash at times to pay for personal expenses.
In court, Sanders admitted to taking between $15,000 and $40,000 from campaign funds for personal use.
"Mike knew better then, and he knows better now. He also knows that mistakes come with a price. He accepts responsibility for his conduct and whatever punishment comes with it," J.R. Hobbs, Sanders's attorney, said.
In a separate hearing, Williford confessed he used $40,000 to $95,000 for personal expenses, including a trip that Sanders and Williford took to Las Vegas.
Williford's attorney, Brian Gaddy, told reporters Williford is "extremely emotional and remorseful for what he's done."
Calvin Williford's attorney, Brian Gaddy, spoke with the press after the plea hearing. His remarks: pic.twitter.com/pUOAVjbAII
— Andres Gutierrez (@AFGutierrez) January 26, 2018
"From the beginning of this investigation, he has cooperated with the authorities and has attempted to accept full responsibility for his actions in this case," Gaddy said. "He regrets them and again he's anxious for closure."
Sanders and Williford were released on their own personal recognizance. A judge ordered both men to surrender their passports.
The Department of Justice said the case was investigated by the FBI's Kansas City Division.
Because Sanders and Williford are so connected to the Kansas City community, prosecutors came from the Department of Justice in Washington to present the case.
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