Overview
- Federal prosecutors unsealed the indictment Monday, charging James Phillip Appel with three counts each of wire fraud and money laundering, and he pleaded not guilty.
- Prosecutors say he moved $100,000 from Del. Kathy Szeliga’s campaign and $100,000 from a local tennis nonprofit into accounts he controlled to refinance a 65-foot Pacific Mariner yacht.
- The filing describes a sequence that began in May 2023 with an internal transfer, continued with April 2024 withdrawals into his personal accounts, and included a June 5, 2024 transfer of $100,000 from the nonprofit followed by an email to a bank about refinancing.
- Magistrate Judge Erin Aslan set pretrial limits that bar him from opening new bank accounts, and he has been removed from Maryland Republican Party and Freedom Caucus treasurer roles.
- The indictment says he filed false campaign finance reports to mask the campaign withdrawal, and Szeliga confirmed she is the politician referenced in the case.