Stockman ex-aide back in U.S. to face conspiracy charges

Federal agents quietly arrested Jason Posey, a former congressional aide who’d been wanted for two months on charges that he helped ex-U.S. Rep. Steve Stockman carry out a criminal conspiracy to bilk millionaire donors, violate elections laws and illegally divert hundreds of thousands in campaign cash.

Posey and Stockman were indicted March 28 on 28 federal charges including mail and wire fraud, conspiracy, making false statements to the Federal Elections Commission, excessive campaign contributions, and money laundering.

Stockman was arrested at the airport on his way out of the country by federal agents. But it appears governmentagents spent weeks negotiating with Posey — who’d been living abroad in the Middle East for more than two years.

Posey voluntarily returned to Houston to turn himself in on May 23, according to Philip Hilder, a Houston lawyer appointed to represent Posey.

“He voluntarily came back to the United States to face the allegations levied against him,” said Hilder, who is known for his work representing whistle-blowers and other witnesses and defendants in high-profile white-collar crime cases, including Enron.

Posey pleaded not guilty to all 28 charges, according to federal court records. Stockman also pleaded not guilty. Posey has been freed on bond set at $50,000, which was posted by his father, Cecil Posey, in his home state of Mississippi.

One of the charges against Posey alleges that he illegally contributed to Stockman’s campaign under his father’s name while Stockman was still serving in Congress.

Stockman represented Houston and a wide swath of East Texas from 19951997 and again from 20132015. Posey worked closely with Stockman during both stints in Congress and also on his campaigns.

Another former Stockman aide, Thomas Dodd, pleaded guilty in March to two related conspiracy charges and has agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.

But in indictments, prosecutors describe Posey as Stockman’s primary accomplice. State and county business filings show Posey set up some of the companies that federal prosecutors say were used to divert campaign contributions through suburban Houston post office boxes and an array of bank accounts.