Sam Patten was a political consultant and lobbyist who became ensnarled in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of Russia meddling in the 2016 presidential election in part because of his long business partnership relationship with Konstantin Kilimnik, a former officer for the Russian intelligence agency whom the FBI had characterized as a “Russian spy.”
LINK TO KILIMNIK,
In 2018, Patten pleaded guilty to acting as a straw donor to illegally purchase four tickets to President Donald Trump’s inauguration for Russian and Ukrainian nationals. He also pleaded guilty to failing to register as a foreign agent in connection with his work for a Ukrainian lobbying effort launched by Paul Manafort, Trump’s former campaign manager who was sentenced to a 7 ½ year prison term.
U.S. laws prohibit a foreign national or foreign corporation to donate to a Presidential Inauguration Committee.
In return for his guilty plea, Patten agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors.
Patten was sentenced on April 12, 2019, to three years’ probation, 500 hours of community service and a $5000 fine.
