(Photo : Reuters / Daniel Acker) Michele Bachmann (C) greets guests as she arrives for a town hall meeting with Iowa Senator Kent Sorenson (L) in Indianola, Iowa August 12, 2011.


Former Iowa state Sen. Kent Sorenson on Wednesday pleaded guilty to accepting bribes to drop his campaign for 2012 presidential candidate Michele Bachmann. Sorenson also admitted giving false testimony to an independent counsel requested by the Iowa Senate Ethics Committee.



Sorenson, a top aide for Bachmann's campaign at the time, admitted he concealed the money he received from the Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, campaign to switch his support. He pleaded guilty to causing a federal campaign committee submit a false expenditure report and obstruction of justice, according to Minneapolis' StarTribune.com.



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As part of the plea bargain, Sorenson received immunity from additional prosecution on state and federal charges.



The former Iowa state senator said he backed Bachmann's campaign for the 2012 presidential race. However, beginning in October up to December 2011, he admitted to secretly negotiating with the Paul camoaing to switch his support in exchange for US$73,000, a federal Justice Department document said.



Sorenson received US$8,000 every month, according to the Justice Department. Payments went through two firms before Sorenson and his wife received them.



Just a few days before the Iowa Caucus began in December, Sorenson publicly switched his support to Paul. The switch delivered a significant blow to Bachmann's campaign, which lost momentum gained when she topped the Iowa straw poll in August 2011.



It was at that time that Bachmann clearly lost her image as a viable contender in the race, Sorenson said.



Bachmann said Sorenson admitted to receiving money from Paul in exchange for the defection.



Timothy A. Gallagher, special agent in charge of the FBI's Washington Field Office Criminal Division, said Sorenson took responsibility for his wrongdoings. However, the FBI would not tolerate any form of exploitation of "political process" for personal benefits and would go after those who commit the same crimes, Gallagher added.



The implication of Sorenson's guilty plea for Bachmann is yet to be seen. Federal agencies including the U.S. House Ethics Committee are still investigating Bachmann's presidential campaign.



Last spring, Bachmann said she had no intention to pursue a congressional seat anymore.




TagsIowa, Kent Sorenson, Michele Bachmann, Ron Paul, Texas, StarTribune, Justice Department, Iowa Caucus, Iowa Senate Ethics Committee, Timothy A. Gallagher, U.S. House Ethics Committee