Carolyn Cavaness was a campaign staffer for Jimmie Moore, a Philadelphia judge who entered the Democratic primary against Robert Brady (pictured). | Matt Rourke/AP Woman pleads guilty in scheme to pay off Brady challenger Aide to Democratic Philadelphia primary candidate admits concealing $90,000 paid to drop out

A Pennsylvania pastor pleaded guilty to a federal felony Tuesday for participating in a scheme that led a challenger to Rep. Robert Brady (D-Pa.) to bow out of a 2012 primary contest.

Appearing in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia, the Rev. Carolyn Cavaness pleaded guilty to a single charge of making a false statement in a federal proceeding, court records show.


Cavaness was a campaign staffer for Jimmie Moore, a Philadelphia judge who entered the Democratic primary against Brady. Moore dropped out in February 2012, according to news accounts.

No charges have been announced against Moore or Brady. However, one court filing made public Tuesday indicates prosecutors believe Brady attempted to influence the testimony of at least one witness in the investigation.

Cavaness admitted to helping make create false Federal Election Commission reports disguising the fact that Brady's campaign agreed to pay $90,000 in Moore's campaign expenses, far in excess of the $2,500 candidates were allowed to transfer at the time. In addition, Cavaness and Moore used some of the funds for "personal expenses," the formal charge says.

Court papers don't identify Moore or Brady by name, but the U.S. Attorney's Office in Philadelphia identified the congressional seat involved as Pennsylvania's 1st District, which Brady has represented since 1998.

An additional filing indicates that Brady was interviewed by the FBI on April 18 and soon "summoned" another person "to have a discussion about the matter under investigation which Candidate A [Brady] did not wish to discuss on the telephone."

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"At a subsequent in-person meeting, Candidate A demanded of Person 3 whether he 'was clear about what [had] happened?' After Person 3 indicated he was 'clear,' Candidate A responded that he took care of Candidate B's girl (Cavaness) and that Candidate A 'was allowed to pay for polls.' Candidate A and Person 3 agreed that they should not discuss the matter further."

The June 26 filing asked a federal judge to keep Cavaness' court file under wraps while the investigation proceeds.

"The government submits that this conduct by Candidate A was intended to influence Person 3's account of the matter under investigation, and that if Candidate A, a powerful figure in Philadelphia politics, were to learn of the Information and other documents prior to the guilty plea hearing, there is a significant danger that Candidate A, or others on his behalf, would attempt to contact the cooperating witness in a corrupt attempt to influence his or her decision to enter guilty pleas and cooperation agreement [sic]," prosecutor Eric Gibson wrote.

Brady's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. He's a major presence in Democratic politics, having served as the chairman of Philadelphia's Democratic Party since 1986. He's also the ranking Democrat on the House Administration Committee, and was chairman of that panel from 2007 to 2011.

Reached by the Philadelphia Inquirer on Tuesday, Brady referred questions to a longtime political consultant, Ken Smukler.

“You have to talk to Kenny,” Brady said. “They did all that. That’s five years ago. I don’t remember none of that.”

A message left at Moore's court chambers was not immediately returned.

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