Congressman TJ Cox of California speaks at a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington on January 17, 2019.
Andrew Harnik / AP
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Andrew Harnik / AP
Congressman TJ Cox of California speaks at a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington on January 17, 2019.
Andrew Harnik / AP
Former California Representative TJ Cox is facing dozens of federal charges related to allegations that Democrats participated in multiple fraud schemes, including one related to running for Congress.
Judicial release details The third of 15 counts of wire fraud, 11 counts of money laundering, one count of financial institution fraud and one count of campaign contribution fraud against Cox.
He served in the United States House of Representatives for a single term, from 2019-2021. In the 2018 race, he narrowly defeated Republican David Valadao in a major Democratic push to take over GOP-led counties in California. Cox lost the rematch against Valadao.
According to federal prosecutors, Cox’s alleged schemes spanned many years, from at least 2013-2018, and involved multiple scams. Cox allegedly targeted companies, both for-profit and nonprofit organizations, he was affiliated with, according to unsealed indictment.
In two different fraud schemes, Cox illegally obtained more than $1.7 million from customer payments as well as corporate loans and investments he solicited and subsequently stole, according to prosecutors.
His fraud schemes were even alleged in connection with his own congressional run. Prosecutors said when Cox was a candidate for the US House of Representatives in 2018, he ran a $25,000 illegal straw funding scheme. He has sponsored and refunded his family members and associates for his campaign donations.
If convicted, and if sentenced to the maximum, Cox faces decades in prison.
No information about a possible attorney for Cox was included in the court documents.
