Crime author's ex-business manager pleads guilty

[January 04, 2011]  WASHINGTON (AP) -- The former business manager for best-selling crime novelist Patricia Cornwell has pleaded guilty to lying about the source of 21 contributions of $2,300 apiece to Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.

Evan Snapper told a federal judge Monday he had been aware that the 21 contributors did not ultimately make the donations in 2008, but instead they were reimbursed from an account belonging to someone identified in court papers as "Person A."

Snapper's lawyer declined to identify Person A, but Cornwell's attorneys issued a statement saying that "as this criminal charge confirms," Snapper had abused the trust that Cornwell placed in him to prudently and lawfully handle all her financial affairs, including political contributions.

In other words, Snapper used Cornwell's funds to make the reimbursements.

[Associated Press; By PETE YOST]

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.