NEW YORK -- Former Governor John Rowland's conviction on seven counts of violating campaign finance laws and falsifying records has been upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals.
The court said Friday:
We conclude that Rowland was properly convicted under 18 U.S.C. § 1519 because he created or participated in the creation of documents that misrepresented—or“falsified” his relationships with the Congressional candidates, Wilson Foley and Mark Greenberg, and he did so with the intent to impede a possible future federal investigation. We reject Rowland’s assertion that principles of contract law prevent us from concluding that documents styled as contracts are “falsified”within the meaning of the statute. We also determine that the government adequately disclosed Wilson Foley’s statements to Rowland, and that even if it did not, he would not be able to show that he was prejudiced by the deficiency. Finally, we reject his challenges to the District Court’s evidentiary rulings, jury instructions, and Sentencing Guidelines calculation.
Rowland was sentenced to a 2 ½-year prison term last year following his conviction on a charge of conspiring to disguise work he did on a failed 2012 congressional campaign. He is free on bail.
The judge in the case will be scheduling a date for Rowland to report to federal prison.
His attorney, Andrew Fish, has claimed the government withheld evidence that would have benefited the defense and has misapplied a federal law.
Prosecutors have denied those charges and argued the conviction should stand.
Rowland resigned from office in 2004 amid a corruption scandal and served 10 months in prison for taking illegal gifts.
Rowland was convicted of conspiring to hide payments for work he did on the failed 2012 congressional campaign of Republican Lisa Wilson-Foley and trying to do the same on the failed 2010 congressional campaign of Republican Mark Greenberg.
