LOS ANGELES, Aug 23 (AFP) - A Hollywood fundraiser who organised events featuring such celebrities as former US president Bill Clinton was Monday sentenced to more than five years in jail for fraud.
Aaron Tonken, 38, was sentenced to 63 months behind bars after admitting fraudulently diverting hundreds of thousands of dollars destined for charity galas and using the cash to pay off his own credit card bills.
The fundraiser, who is writing a tell-all book about his political money-raining activities, siphoned off cash he raised for a charity gala billed as a tribute to diva Diana Ross, an event that never took place.
Tonken also helped produce several charitable fundraisers which included the casts of the hit US television shows "The Practice" and "Ally McBeal."
Assistant US Attorney Joseph Zwicker said Tonken used some of the money to pay off his credit mounting card bills and that he took money from donors who falsely believed they were the event's only sponsors.
But Tonken's attorney Alan Rubin said that his heavily-indebted client stole "less than five percent" of the money at issue in the case.
Rubin also said it was unclear if celebrities, some of whom reportedly took large cash payments and gifts from Tonken in exchange for appearing at events, could be guilty of wrongdoing.
During his time as a top fundraiser, Tonken helped arrange events for Clinton and his wife, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in August 2000.
Tonken struck a secret plea deal with prosecutors that resulted in US District Judge Dale Fischer sentencing him in Los Angeles on Monday.