Anton 'Tony' Lazzaro, a well-connected Republican from Minnesota, is facing federal charges of sex trafficking minors. Lazzaro claims the government targeted him for political reasons.
A formerly well-connected, accused of plying petite, vulnerable teenage girls with cash, liquor and gifts, goes on trial Tuesday on federal charges of sex trafficking minors.
Lazzaro denies the sex-trafficking allegations. He says the government targeted him for political reasons and because of his wealth. Carnahan is the widow of U.S. Rep. Jim Hagedorn, who died of kidney cancer in February 2022. She denied knowing of any wrongdoing by Lazzaro before the charges were unsealed in August 2021, and she condemned his alleged crimes. But his arrest fueled outrage among party activists. Allegations surfaced that she created a toxic work environment and abused nondisclosure agreements to silence her critics. She resigned a week later.
Lazzaro also helped run the campaign of Republican Lacy Johnson, who failed to unseat Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, of Minnesota, in 2020. Pictures on Lazzaro's social media accounts showed him with prominent Republicans, including formerand former Vice President Mike Pence. He founded a political action committee called Big Tent Republicans, which advocated for a more inclusive party.
He often sent cars to take the girls to his luxury penthouse condo at the Hotel Ivy in downtown Minneapolis, prosecutors said.
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