In a plea agreement that was unsealed today (PDF), a former chief executive officer of red-light camera company Redflex has pleaded guilty to bribing Columbus and Cincinnati elected officials. Karen Finley, the former CEO, was pressed by Democratic officials in both cities to make campaign contributions in exchange for giving Redflex the contract to install and maintain red-light cameras in the cities.

According to the plea agreement, the company, at Finley’s urging, would pay the contributions to a “consultant” for services never rendered and the consultant would then pass the money on to the campaigns either by direct donation or by using additional straw donors. $30,000 was passed through this way in 2007. Then in 2009, a donation of $5,000 was given to the Franklin County Democratic Party this way. Again in 2011, a donation of $20,000—referred to as a “success fee”—was made to the Ohio Democratic Party.

At one point, Finley remarked to another Redflex executive, “Wow that is a big handout. Is this how our local city handles campaign financing – now I understand the ‘order of protection’ for our friends.” ​The unnamed executive, when pressed for more cash by the consultant, wrote back, “I will keep trying. It ain’t easy, you know I have been back to that well many, many times over the years” (emphasis added). Here’s the exchange:

The $20,000 bribe to the Ohio Democratic Party is important because the party then turned around and made a $21,000 donation to the campaign of rising Democratic star Columbus City Council President Andy Ginther, whose campaign the newspapers say solicited the bribe in the first place. The FBI is currently subpoenaing multiple Democratic officials in Columbus, including Ginther, who is the current Democratic frontrunner in the mayoral race. How do you think this is going to go down with voters?