Democratic Bagman Chatwal Gets Over 300 Letters Of Support For Illegal Campaign Donations Trial

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NEW YORK – Weeks before the sentencing of NRI hotelier Sant Singh Chatwal on charges of conspiring to make illegal campaign contributions in the U.S, over 300 letters of support from his friends have been submitted to a court here detailing his humanitarian work to seek leniency.

Chatwal, 70, a Padma Bhushan awardee and major fundraiser for former Hillary Clinton, had pleaded guilty in April this year to violating the Federal Election Campaign Act by making more than USD 180,000 in campaign donations to three candidates through straw donors and to witness tampering.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on November 19 and while the charges carry a maximum prison sentence of 25 years, under a plea deal with the government, he could be sentenced to a little more than five years and would have to pay USD 500,000 in fines. He has agreed to forfeit USD one million to the U.S.

His lawyers have submitted nearly 300 letters from Chatwal’s friends, family, employees and business colleagues detailing his philanthropic and humanitarian work to seek leniency from District Judge I Leo Glasser in his sentencing.

Among them is a November 2008 letter by then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who expressed his “sincere appreciation” for Chatwal’s “personal efforts” in working for the successful conclusion of the Indo-U.S civil nuclear deal.

He congratulated Chatwal for his “important contribution” in bringing the two countries closer together and expressed confidence of his continued support to deepen Indo-U.S ties.