Waechter accepts plea deal

Former Sarasota GOP Chairman Bob Waechter does not face jail time for an arrest stemming from fraudulent campaign contributions.

Judge Donna Berlin on Thursday, Dec. 12, sentenced Waechter to two years of probation, a $5,000 fine and three months of house arrest for making donations to Democratic candidates using the name of Sarasota County Commission candidate Lourdes Ramirez. According to prosecuters, Waechter made the donations to hinder Ramirez in the coming election, in which she is running as a Republican.

Waechter imeediately resigned from the board of the Sarasota-Manatee Airport Authority board after the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office filed charges Dec. 14. And Waechter, a Siesta Key resident, resigned from the Sarasota County Tourist Development Council and the Zoning Board of Appeals in January.

Contact Alex Mahadevan at [email protected]