Jury finds Jerry Lundergan and Dale Emmons guilty of campaign finance crimes

A jury on Thursday found Jerry Lundergan guilty on all 10 felony counts in the federal case accusing him of conspiring to conceal illegal corporate donations from his company to the Senate campaign of his daughter, Alison Lundergan Grimes.

The jury also found co-defendant Dale Emmons, a consultant paid by Lundergan's company to provide services for Grimes' campaign, guilty on all six felony counts.

The jury delivered its verdict after deliberating for less than three hours.

Lundergan and Emmons will remain free until their sentencing hearing on Jan. 22. 

Federal prosecutors alleged in the indictments and five-week trial that Lundergan conspired with Emmons to direct illegal corporate contributions from his companies to the 2014 U.S. Senate campaign of Grimes and to falsify campaign records to cover up more than $218,000 of those contributions.

Defense attorneys for Lundergan and Emmons argued that the two made innocent mistakes during that campaign and did not knowingly violate campaign laws, which would need to be proven in order for there to be a conspiracy.

Previously:In closing argument, prosecutor says Lundergan's campaign mistakes were 'deliberate'

If Lundergan, the former chairman of the Kentucky Democratic Party, receives the maximum sentence on each of the 10 counts, he would serve 110 years. Emmons, who has worked for campaigns in Kentucky over three decades, would serve 60 years if he is sentenced for the maximum on all six counts.

Grimes, the Kentucky secretary of state, was in the front row of the courtroom for the second consecutive day of the trial, along with her mother Charlotte Lundergan, who has regularly attended.

Many members of Lundergan's family, filling the area behind the defense table, began crying after the first of many guilty verdicts were read. Family members hugged Lundergan as he made his way out of the courtroom.

Guthrie True, Lundergan's defense attorney, told reporters he was "very disappointed" in the verdict, saying he will "definitely" appeal.

True said U.S. District Judge Van Tatenhove's ruling to allow evidence alleging campaign finance crimes committed by Lundergan in the 2011 and 2015 Grimes races for secretary of state was a "terrible" error that would be ripe for appeal.

Emmons' attorney, Brandon Marshall, declined to comment to reporters.

Sarah Van Wallaghen, the executive director of the Republican Party of Kentucky, issued a statement after the ruling that she is "pleased to see that the jury is holding these Democrats accountable for their crimes," adding that Grimes’ "corrupt political machine has left the Secretary of State’s office in complete disarray."

The campaign of Mitch McConnell -- Grimes' opponent in that 2014 Senate race -- also took a turn to gloat after the ruling. Its account tweeted "Finally, an answer to the age-old question...," along with a music video it used in that campaign asking "What rhymes with Alison Lundergan Grimes?"

A spokesperson for the Kentucky Democratic Party had no comment on the verdict.

The star witness for the prosecution was Jonathan Hurst, a former mentee of Lundergan who was the campaign manager for Grimes in 2014 and her secretary of state races.

Hurst — who said he considered Lundergan, his wife and Grimes like part of his family — testified that Lundergan attempted similar campaign finance violations in the 2011 and 2015 races.

The most explosive allegation from Hurst was that Lundergan left a bag with $20,000 in cash and a $25,000 check from his company on a couch in his house, just a day after Lundergan told him he wanted more mailers for Grimes late in her 2015 campaign.

The closing arguments of both defense attorneys on Wednesday relied heavily on ridiculing the character and credibility of Hurst as a witness, calling him a "snake," "monster" and "master deceiver" who "used Jerry's back like a stepladder to success." True often repeated a rhyming line in his closing, saying "expect the worst with Jonathan Hurst."

Looking back:Defense lawyers try to paint consultant Hurst as the bad guy in Lundergan case

Scott Cox, Hurst's attorney, told the Courier Journal his client "has been unfairly maligned over the last three weeks in federal court."

"Jonathan never did anything wrong," Cox said. "He told prosecutors, a federal grand jury and a trial jury the truth, and members of this community agree — all of those who served on the jury."

Reach reporter Joe Sonka at jsonka@courierjournal.com or 502-582-4472 and follow him on Twitter at @joesonka. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courierjournal.com/subscribe.