Breaking bad news for Bera

The stock price of one of Democrats’ most vulnerable Members of Congress, Ami Bera, just took a plunge.

News is breaking that Ami Bera’s father, Babulal Bera, is in federal court today charged with two counts of campaign finance violations related to contributions to Ami’s campaign for Congress.

As originally reported by The Sacramento Bee:

The father of Rep. Ami Bera, D-Elk Grove, has been charged with two counts of campaign finance violations and is scheduled to appear in federal court Tuesday to enter a plea in the case, federal court documents state.

Babulal Bera, whose son faces a re-election battle against Republican Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones, was charged with making excessive campaign contributions and making contributions in the name of another person.

The charges filed Monday night allege that, beginning in 2009, Bera contributors gave at least $235,000 to a campaign committee in Elk Grove, and that Babulal Bera later caused the contributions to be illegally refunded.

In addition to allegedly running this campaign contribution ring, Babulal Bera was doling out over $275,000 to Democrat campaign accounts, including to multiple accounts connected to his son’s run for Congress.

So what say you, Ami Bera? Oh, he claims he doesn’t know anything about it.

The Bottom Line:
For a congressman already distrusted over his policy postures, Ami Bera’s denial isn’t going to pass the smell test for California voters. Ami Bera should come clean to his constituents and start returning all the tainted campaign dollars he’s banked.