Former Lee County Commisioner Tammy Hall Sentenced for Stealing from Her Campaign Fund

Fort Myers, FL—U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell today sentenced former Lee County Commissioner Tammara "Tammy" Ann Hall (53, Cape Coral) to six months in federal prison on her conviction for wire fraud. She was also ordered to serve a three-year term of supervised release following her release from prison. Special conditions of supervision include a 90-day term of home confinement and 250 hours of community service. The court also ordered a money judgment in the amount of $33,756 and for Hall to pay restitution in the same amount. Hall was ordered to report to the Federal Bureau of Prisons on or before February 14, 2014. A separate restitution hearing will be held on March 14, 2014.

Hall pleaded guilty to the charge on October 3, 2013.

According to court documents, Hall was a Lee County Commissioner running for re-election in the November 2010 general election. From November 2009 to November 2010, Hall diverted and embezzled approximately $33,756 that was contributed by donors to the Tammy Hall campaign fund. Hall used the money for personal expenditures unrelated to the campaign. She completed Florida Department of State campaign fund quarterly reports and failed to disclose that she had diverted campaign contributions to pay for personal expenses. Hall falsely represented the nature of the expenditures or omitted certain donor campaign contribution checks from the quarterly reports. Hall stole from her campaign fund by electronically transferring funds from the campaign bank account into to her personal bank account at Wachovia Bank by writing checks from the campaign bank account and depositing the checks into her personal bank account and by depositing certain campaign contribution checks from donors directly into her personal bank account.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey F. Michelland.