According to court documents that were released on Tuesday, former US Representative TJ Cox, a Democrat from California, has been charged with federal money laundering and wire fraud, some of which are related to campaign donations.
Following his arrest many hours earlier at the Fresno County federal courtroom, Cox entered a not guilty plea in federal court on Tuesday afternoon, according to online records from the county Sheriff’s Office. According to court filings, he is accused with 15 counts of wire fraud, 11 charges of money laundering, one case of financial institution fraud, and one count of campaign contribution fraud.
He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in jail if found guilty of the wire fraud and money laundering counts, as well as a maximum sentence of 30 years for the financial institution fraud.
Cox was freed on his own recognizance after spending the day in the Fresno County Jail and giving up his passport, according to court documents. On October 12, before Magistrate Judge Barbara McAuliffe, he will have his next court appearance.
Cox, 59, served in Congress from January 2019 to January 2021, serving as the representative for California’s 21st Congressional District. In 2018, he won the seat over Republican incumbent David Valadao for the first time. Cox was elected to Congress as a result of a nationwide blue wave in congressional contests that helped Democrats retake the House from Republicans. However, Valadao defeated Cox in 2020 to reclaim the seat.