The Daily Beast: Sorenson's Plea Deal Could Get Awkward for Rand Paul

Ben Jacobs writes at the Daily Beast:

State Sen. Kent Sorenson’s guilty plea could implicate campaign staffers linked to Rand Paul through his father...

None of the allegations around Sorenson directly involve either Ron or Rand Paul, but they do involve top staffers on the Ron Paul campaign. Sorenson’s wife allegedly accepted a $25,000 check from Dimtri Kesari, Ron Paul’s deputy campaign manager in 2012, and other key figures in Paul’s political orbit like Jesse Benton, who was Ron Paul’s 2012 presidential campaign chairman and was Rand’s campaign manager in his 2010 Senate race.

If Sorenson’s plea deal involves further testimony against any of these operatives, things could get awkward for Rand Paul. After all, while the only Ron Paul staffer linked to Sorenson to have worked for Rand Paul is Benton, all of those named have long-standing ties to the Paul family’s political efforts through organizations like National Right to Work, and legal issues for even one of them would be embarrassing for Paul 2016. After all, nothing good can happen for your presidential campaign when federal prosecutors start issuing subpoenas to your father’s former staffers.

Note: If Jesse Benton is snared in the developing scandal, it will also be a problem for Mitch McConnell, since Benton, who hasn't been heard from in some time, is technically still McConnell's camapign manager---and it is still not clear how Kesari may spin any connection he may have had with the Rand Paul 2010 Senate campaign. Kesari is most assuredly under pressure to co-operate with the government.

-RW