A former Wisconsin man has been sentenced to 20 months in federal prison for funnelling hundreds of thousands of dollars into US political campaigns after renouncing his American citizenship.
Roger Hoffman, 70, was ordered by U.S. District Judge James Peterson to serve the term and pay a $150,000 fine. Hoffman originally from Madison, Wisconsin, became a citizen of Saint Kitts and Nevis in January 2009 and renounced his US citizenship in July of that year.
Despite leaving the country, he moved more than $400,000 into state and federal elections over the following decade. He used an assistant identified only as M.W. as a conduit to circumvent laws barring foreign nationals from influencing US elections.
Hoffman pleaded guilty in September to a single count of making illegal donations. Under the plea deal, prosecutors said they could prove he made about $345,000 in illegal federal campaign contributions between 2010 and 2020.
Court documents show he donated to federal and Wisconsin candidates and political parties, but the specific recipients were not disclosed. The US attorney’s office said Judge Peterson admonished Hoffman for demonstrating “a resolute pattern of dishonesty” during sentencing.
