Former Tea Party congressman arrested by the FBI, charged with conspiracy

Former member of Congress Steve Stockman was arrested by FBI and charged Thursday with conspiracy to funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars illegally from a charity to his own pocket.

From KPRC in Houston:

He is accused of conspiring to violate federal election laws during his last term in office. It's a felony that could send him to federal prison if he's convicted.

As Stockman stood before the judge Thursday afternoon, prosecutors alleged that the former Congressman had conspired with two former employees to funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars to his personal use.

According to the complaint, in 2011 Stockman set up a non-profit called Life Without Limits in Las Vegas. A single contributor donated $350,000 to the charity, which Stockman then allegedly funneled back to himself through donations made by his employees.

Stockman was brought into a courtroom Thursday in shackles and handcuffs where a judge set his bail at $25,000.

The former Tea Party politician received $15,000 through the scheme, according to law enforcement, before he was investigated. He faces 5 years in federal prison if he's convicted of the charges.

Stockman lost a 2014 primary to John Cornyn after serving two terms in Congress. Tea Party groups formally disavowed him for running such a poor campaign that resulted in Cornyn beating him easily. While in Congress, he sought to have Lois Lerner arrested for her part in the IRS scandal under Obama, said English should be the official language of the U.S. government, and openly called for the impeachment of Obama.