Gabriel Whitley, a former congressional candidate from Indiana, has agreed to plead guilty to charges of falsifying campaign contributions. The 27-year-old from Indianapolis admitted to fabricating donations in reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) during his 2024 campaign for Indiana’s Seventh Congressional District.
Whitley, who also served as the treasurer for his campaign committee "Honest Gabe for Congress," confessed to lying about hundreds of thousands of dollars in contributions and loans. In October 2023, he falsely reported that 67 fictitious individuals had donated approximately $222,690. Similar false claims were made in January 2024, and by April 2024, Whitley had fabricated a $100,000 loan to his campaign.
The legal proceedings will include a change-of-plea hearing and a sentencing hearing yet to be scheduled. Whitley could face up to five years in prison if convicted. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Brent Wible from the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, First Assistant U.S. Attorney John E. Childress for the Southern District of Indiana, and FBI Special Agent Herbert Stapleton announced the case details. The FBI's Indianapolis Field Office is leading the investigation with Trial Attorney Jacob R. Steiner and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Preston prosecuting.
It is important to note that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty or they plead guilty in court.
