Changes

On March 28, 2017, Stockman was [[indictment|indicted]] by a federal grand jury for an assortment of financial crimes. He is charged with having obtained $1.25 million under false pretenses from conservative donors and used that money to pay personal expenses and to underwrite his political campaigns. He faced eleven counts of money laundering, eight counts of mail and wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to make "conduit contributions" and false statements, two counts of making false statements to the [[Federal Election Commission]], one count of making excessive contributions, and another count for not disclosing his total income on his 2013 federal tax return. Stockman's trial began March 19, 2018.<ref>Eric Garcia, "Corruption Trial Begins for Former Rep. Steve Stockman", ''Roll Call'', March 19, 2018.</ref> On April 12, Stockman was convicted on twenty-three of the twenty-four felonies for which he was charged. He reaffirmed his innocence but faces potentially ten years in prison. He is confined in Conroe, Texas, north of Houston.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Former-U-S-Rep-Steve-Stockman-convicted-in-12821521.php|title=Former U.S. Rep. Steve Stockman convicted in massive fraud scheme|publisher=''The Houston Chronicle''|date=April 12, 2018|author=Gabrielle Banks|accessdate=April 13, 2018}}</ref>

On March 28, 2017, Stockman was [[indictment|indicted]] by a federal grand jury for an assortment of financial crimes. He is charged with having obtained $1.25 million under false pretenses from conservative donors and used that money to pay personal expenses and to underwrite his political campaigns. He faced eleven counts of money laundering, eight counts of mail and wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to make "conduit contributions" and false statements, two counts of making false statements to the [[Federal Election Commission]], one count of making excessive contributions, and another count for not disclosing his total income on his 2013 federal tax return. Stockman's trial began March 19, 2018.<ref>Eric Garcia, "Corruption Trial Begins for Former Rep. Steve Stockman", ''Roll Call'', March 19, 2018.</ref> On April 12, Stockman was convicted on twenty-three of the twenty-four felonies for which he was charged. He reaffirmed his innocence but faces potentially ten years in prison. He is confined in Conroe, Texas, north of Houston.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Former-U-S-Rep-Steve-Stockman-convicted-in-12821521.php|title=Former U.S. Rep. Steve Stockman convicted in massive fraud scheme|publisher=''The Houston Chronicle''|date=April 12, 2018|author=Gabrielle Banks|accessdate=April 13, 2018}}</ref>

He could have received as much as 283 years in prison for the 23 charges, which nearly all relate to checks that he received from two donors totaling about $950,000. A website established up by supporters attributes the prosecution in the case, which began in the [[Barack H. Obama]] Justice Department, as an example of the “[[deep state]]” in action. Former federal prosecutor Sidney Powell worked briefly pro-bono on Stockman’s legal team following his conviction, filing a court document calling for his release from prison pending his sentencing hearing and appeal. Powell said that justice was not served in the case.<ref name=westrec>{{cite web|url=https://www.westernjournal.com/supporters-former-gop-congressmans-conviction-latest-example-deep-state-retaliation/|title=Supporters Say Former GOP Congressman’s Conviction Latest Example of ‘Deep State’ Retaliation|author=Randy DeSoto|publisher=''The Western Journal''|date=August 2, 2018|accessdate=August 3, 2018}}</ref>

He could have received as much as 283 years in prison for the 23 charges, which nearly all relate to checks that he received from two donors totaling about $950,000. A website established up by supporters attributes the prosecution in the case, which began in the [[Barack H. Obama]] Justice Department, as an example of the “[[deep state]]” in action. Former federal prosecutor Sidney Powell worked briefly pro-bono on Stockman's legal team following his conviction, filing a court document calling for his release from prison pending his sentencing hearing and appeal. Powell said that justice was not served in the case.<ref name=westrec>{{cite web|url=https://www.westernjournal.com/supporters-former-gop-congressmans-conviction-latest-example-deep-state-retaliation/|title=Supporters Say Former GOP Congressman’s Conviction Latest Example of ‘Deep State’ Retaliation|author=Randy DeSoto|publisher=''The Western Journal''|date=August 2, 2018|accessdate=August 3, 2018}}</ref>

Nationally syndicated columnist [[Joseph Farah]] called upon President [[Donald Trump]] to [[pardon]] Stockman. Farah said:

Nationally syndicated columnist [[Joseph Farah]] called upon President [[Donald Trump]] to [[pardon]] Stockman. Farah said: