Democratic fundraiser Norman Hsu sentenced to three years

Norman Hsu, who used to be a major fundraiser for Hillary Clinton and the Democratic party has been sentenced to three years for fraud.

John Coté at SFGate reports:

Disgraced Democratic fundraiser Norman Hsu, who became a prolific political moneyman even as he was a fugitive from justice, was sentenced Friday to three years in state prison in a San Mateo County grand theft case that dates from the early 1990s.

Hsu was sentenced in Redwood City more than 15 years after he skipped out on his original court date and fled to Asia.

And this isn't the end of it:

He will now be transferred to federal custody to face new criminal charges in New York, where he is accused of bilking investors across the country out of at least $20million. Hsu allegedly funneled some of the money to political campaigns, including that of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, while living a lavish lifestyle.

Now here is the kicker (his legal defense):

Hsu's attorneys had sought to have the 1990s case dismissed or to allow Hsu to withdraw his no contest plea, saying his right to a speedy trial had been violated because authorities made little attempt to locate him - even as he attended fundraising events and was photographed with political candidates.

His attorney is planning to appeal this conviction. Hopefully, a judge won't grant him bail again as I would guess he is probably of a flight risk.

The good news is that we are starting to see a trend, where money isn't the primary factor dictating who will become the next leader.

SF Gate story by John Coté, here.