Federal prosecutors have charged a longtime Republican campaign treasurer in Maryland with diverting funds for personal use—including the purchase of a fancy yacht. James Phillip Appel, 58, pleaded not guilty Monday to counts of wire fraud and money laundering. Prosecutors allege he redirected roughly $200,000 taken from a political figure and a nonprofit group to address debt tied to a Pacific Mariner 65 yacht. A judge released him pending trial with restrictions, barring him from opening new financial accounts. Investigators did not disclose further vessel details, though listings suggest values approaching $800,000. Officials say suspicious transfers began in 2023 and continued into 2024, moving money between campaign, organizational, and personal accounts in multiple transactions. “Today’s indictment confirms what many of us suspected,” Maryland Delegate Kathy Szeliga, an alleged victim of Appel’s, said in a statement. “As a trusted professional, political, and commercial treasurer, James Appel exploited that trust and stole from the very people he was hired to serve. It’s a betrayal beyond words.”
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