Major Biden donor pleads guilty to campaign finance charges

A wealthy donor to high-profile Democrats, including Vice President Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to charges he made illegal campaign contributions.

Delaware liquor executive Christopher Tigani faced two counts of willfully making campaign contributions in the names of others — a violation of the Federal Election Campaign Act — and two counts of making false statements on his tax returns, according to court documents unsealed in U.S. District Court in Delaware on Thursday.

He pleaded guilty to the four counts and was granted conditional release. He must return to the U.S. District Court in Wilmington on Sept. 20 for sentencing. 

Tigani faces up to 5 years in prison for each of the two violation of election law counts, according to the Wilmington News Journal. He faces up to 3 years in prison on the two tax violations.

Tigani is part of a family dynasty of Delaware liquor barons. His business, N.K.S. Distributors, has the exclusive right to distribute Budweiser, Sam Adams and Corona in the state. Tigani was accused of using his company to reimburse associates and N.K.S. employees for campaign contributions to state and federal candidates. In addition to the contributions, Tigani also provided “free alcohol for political fundraising events” as in-kind contributions to campaign committees, court documents show.

The U.S. Attorney alleged Tigani’s goal was to foster opposition for additional liquor taxes, support for Sunday liquor sales and to obtain a lease on two parcels of state land in Milford, Del.

Tigani has personally made $47,900 in political contributions over the last decade, with much of that money going to prominent Democrats, Federal Election Commission records show. He gave $7,500 to Biden between 2001 and 2007, and $2,300 to Clinton's presidential campaign in July 2007.

He also contributed $1,000 to former Missouri Rep. Dick Gephardt (D) in 2001. 

FEC records show Tigani's former wife, Candice, also made a $2,300 contribution to Biden in 2007.

Tigani also bundled $25,000 "or more" to an unnamed presidential campaign in 2007, according to court documents. 

The liquor executive also reimbursed two N.K.S. employees for $500 contributions for an unnamed Senate candidate in 2006, court documents show. 

Tigani in 2006 also donated $500 to Sen. Tom Carper (Del.) and $2,100 to Sen. Bob Casey (Pa.), according to FEC records. Both Democrats are up for reelection next year.

Tigani was also major donor to the state Democratic Party. Between 2002-2004 he gave $11,000 to Delaware’s Democratic State Committee and got four N.K.S. employees to write checks for $10,000 to the state Democrats and reimbursed them for the contributions. 

Tigani also gave to Republicans.

He contributed $2,000 to the Delaware GOP between 2005 and 2006 and gave $2,000 to former President George W. Bush’s 2004 reelection campaign. In addition, he made several contributions to the National Beer Wholesalers Association's political arm.



It's unclear if these donations relate to the government’s case against him. Gregory Sleet, chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, will preside over Tigani’s sentencing in September.