Jesse Reeves Benton (born October 4, 1977) is an American political operative, convicted felon, writer, and entrepreneur.

[2] On August 5, 2015, Benton was indicted by a grand jury on charges arising from an alleged coverup to conceal the expenditure of campaign money to hire an Iowa politician.

[5] Benton was subsequently re-indicted and was found guilty of conspiring to cause false records to the Federal Election Commission.

[8] Benton was indicted in September 2021 for illegally funneling money he received from a Russian national into the 2016 campaign of Donald Trump.

[15] During the campaign, Benton urged Paul's delegates at the 2012 Republican National Convention to act with "decorum and respect.

[23] In August 2012, conservative activist and former fired 2008 Ron Paul staffer Dennis Fusaro released emails and phone conversations that implicated Benton in being involved in an attempt to hire Iowa state senator Kent Sorenson in order to secure Sorenson's support of Ron Paul's presidential campaign.

[24][25] Sorenson resigned after a special investigator found it "manifestly clear" he violated Iowa Senate ethics rules by accepting money and then denying he'd done so.

"[27] In response to Fusaro's actions, Benton stated, ""It is truly sick that someone would record a private phone conversation I had out of kindness and use it to try to hurt me.

[31] The move, which was followed by Rand Paul endorsing McConnell's re-election, began a political alliance between the two Republican Senators from Kentucky.

Benton views his role as helping to bring the "voice" of the Tea Party into a governing coalition.

[42][43] Campaign managers Jesse Benton, John Tate and Demetrios Kesari were all found guilty of covering of conspiracy.

[44][45][46] With the support of Rand Paul and FEC Commissioner Lee Goodman, Benton was given a full pardon by Donald Trump on December 23, 2020.

[8] On September 20, 2021, the United States Department of Justice announced that Benton (along with Doug Wead) had been indicted.

[52][53] Benton is a Philadelphia native and an alumnus of Mary Washington College, where he was an economics major and played rugby.