Only two months ago, the Donald Trump Super PAC, Great America PAC, hired a guy named Jesse Benton as its “strategist.” Many of you will recognize that name. Benton was Ron Paul’s campaign chairman, then as an aide to Senator Rand Paul, and as Mitch McConnell’s campaign manager. Benton was hired because nothing says “outsider” and “competence” like hiring Mitch McConnell’s campaign manager who was under federal indictment for campaign finance violations.

Trump Super PAC guy Jesse Benton found guilty of four felony fraud charges in federal court in Des Moines today. — Steve Deace (@SteveDeaceShow) May 5, 2016

A federal jury in Iowa has convicted campaign advisers to 2012 presidential candidate Ron Paul on charges they conspired to cover up campaign payments to a former state senator. Federal prosecutors say it is illegal to cause a campaign to file inaccurate spending documents. They’ve pursued charges since July 2015 when a grand jury first indicted the men. Paul’s campaign chairman Jesse Benton, campaign manager John Tate and deputy manager Dimitri Kesari argued they broke no laws when they paid a video production company which passed on $73,000 to former Sen. Kent Sorenson. He dropped support for Michele Bachmann and endorsed Paul six days before the 2012 Iowa caucuses.

I’m sure any resemblance between Sorenson’s volte face in regards to his support of Michele Bachmann and Maine Governor Paul LePage on Donald Trump are simply coincidental:

During a meeting of Republican governors last weekend, LePage said the real estate mogul would harm the party and urged those present to write an “open letter” to the American people distancing themselves from Trump, The New York Times reported. The plan, according to the Times, went nowhere. But less than a week after his plea, LePage completely reversed his position and publicly endorsed Trump. “I was Donald Trump before Donald Trump became popular, so I think I should support him since we’re one of the same cloth,” he told radio host Howie Carr on Friday.

Donald Trump has a talent for corrupting, ruining, and generally beclowning anyone associated with him or his business. He’s shown over the past months that he has brought that formidable skill with him from the private sector (if crony capitalist is actually a private sector occupation) to his campaign for the presidency.