Better Government Association

Top GOP aide admits fraud

By Michael Higgins - Chicago Tribune
March 29, 2006

A former top aide to one-time Republican House leader Lee Daniels pleaded guilty today to illegally steering more than $120,000 in state money and resources to Republican campaign work from 1998 to 2001.

Michael Tristano, 58, pleaded guilty to one count of fraud and agreed to cooperate with federal investigators in exchange for a recommended sentence of between 12 and 20 months in prison.

Tristano admitted in a plea agreement that as Daniel's chief of staff, he assigned workers from the state-funded minority leader's office to work on political campaigns on state time. According to the plea agreement, Tristano then would reward the state workers for their campaign work with compensatory leave time. He also reimbursed them for travel that he knew was related to campaigns, not state work, the agreement said.

Tristano joined with "others known and unknown" in the scheme from January 1998 to December 2001, the agreement said.

In court today, a federal prosecutor read the allegations, and U.S. District Judge Charles Norgle asked Tristano, "Is that what happened?" and "Is that what you did?" To both questions, the defendant replied, "Yes, your honor."

Absent the agreement, federal guidelines would suggest a sentence of between 30 and 37 months, prosecutors said.

"It has been a difficult day for Michael," Tristano's attorney, Jeffrey Steinback, said after the hearing. "He is sorry for the mistakes he's made."

The fraud occurred while Tristano was Daniel's chief of staff and had influence in the minority leader's office, which had a staff of more than 85 people, according to the plea agreement. At the same time, Tristano was executive director of the House Republican Campaign Committee.

"In both his capacities … defendant reported to and took direction from Lee Daniels," the plea agreement said.

Daniels has not been charged with any wrongdoing. The plea agreement did not discuss the nature of Tristano's cooperation.

Daniels' lawyer, Thomas Breen, has said repeatedly that his client has nothing to fear from Tristano if Tristano tells the truth.

In the plea agreement, Tristano said he assigned staff members of the minority leader's office to work on political campaigns, identified the candidates they would work for and supervised their campaign activity. The total value of the state resources lost was between $120,000 and $200,000, according to the plea.