Senate Campaign Manager Pleads Guilty To Stealing $115K In Funds

A former top aide to former Sen. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., has admitted to stealing campaign funds. Anthony Barry charged the one-term senator's campaign over $115,000 beyond what he was owed for working as a deputy campaign manager, according to the Department of Justice.

Campaign manager Dylan Lefler told the Arizona Republic that the McSally campaign had learned Barry took money without authorization and that “McSally appreciates the FBI’s efforts to resolve this case."

“Barry used his position in the campaign to fraudulently direct the campaign to make payments to him beyond what he was owed for his salary and had the fraudulently obtained funds deposited into his personal bank account,” the Justice Department said.

Barry, 33, worked with the McSally campaign in 2018 and 2019. No details have been released as to how Barry defrauded the campaign.

He faces one count of unlawful conversion of campaign funds. Barry will be sentenced on July 6 and could face up to five years in prison.

Barry's legal team declined to make an immediate statement when asked by The Hill, but said it "will likely address the situation."

McSally’s 2018 campaign was her first attempt to move from the House to the Senate, but she lost out to Democrat Kyrsten Sinema. Gov. Doug Ducey later appointed her to replace the late John McCain.

In 2020, McSally narrowly lost to Democratic challenger Mark Kelly.