Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Professional Obama Hater Dinesh D'Souza May Plead Guilty To Campaign Fraud
By
Jen Chung
Published May 20, 2014
Modified May 20, 2014
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published May 20, 2014
Modified May 20, 2014
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Dinesh D'Souza, a conservative pundit and the filmmaker who made a film about how President Obama has been carrying out his father's anti-colonial agenda, will be in federal court this morning for a hearing related to campaign fraud charges. The NY Times reports that his trial was supposed to start today, but "the United States attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York sent out an advisory late Monday night that said a hearing had been scheduled on Tuesday, using language that typically indicates that a plea is expected to occur."
The Times does hedge this assessment by noting that "decisions to plead guilty are subject to change at the last minute, and a defendant like Mr. D’Souza could decide instead to go to trial." But last week, D'Souza failed to get the charges dismissed. He is accused of asking people to make $20,000 in donations for Senate candidate Wendy Long, who was challenging Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.
Federal prosecutors claim that D'Souza reimbursed the donors, which would mean he could face up to five years in prison if convicted. D'Souza, his lawyer and supporters claim that his position as an Obama critic had made him a target (the U.S. Attorney handling the case, Preet Bharara, is an Obama appointee and, Fox News Insider points out, an Obama donor).
D'Souza, described by critics as a "phony" far-right intellectual, has also written many books about Christianity and was the president of a small NYC-based Christian college until he was caught cheating on his wife with a married woman (D'Souza claimed he was separated).
Tagged
campaign fraud
Dinesh D'Souza
straw donor
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Central Park birders, others remember 63-year-old woman killed in park
People who said they knew her described her as an artist and a familiar presence in the Ramble.
By
Charles Lane
Published Sep 28, 2026 at 7:04 p.m. ET
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
News
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
By
Arya Sundaram
A Brooklyn jail cell filled with smoke. The emergency button failed, a lawyer said.
By
Samantha Max
Crews launch tunnel machines to dig first new Hudson River rail tunnels since 1910
By
Michael Sol Warren
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .