Guilty plea in Delaware campaign donation scheme

A politically-connected businessman who headed Delaware’s largest alcohol distributor has pleaded guilty in federal court to charges that he used his company to make tens of thousands of dollars in illegal contributions to state and federal candidates.

Christopher Tigani pleaded guilty to all four charges against him Thursday, but declined to comment. He was charged with using his former company, New Castle-based NKS Distributors Inc., to reimburse others for campaign contributions, violating the limit on individual campaign donations and a 1971 federal ban on corporate campaign contributions.

Prosecutors did not identify in court documents which candidates received the money but said Tigani made sure campaigns knew the contributions were associated with his company. The scheme may have involved Vice President Joe Biden’s 2008 presidential campaign.

Sentencing was set for Sept. 20.

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