Prison sentences for political activists who defrauded Polish Red Cross to fund election campaign

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A Polish court has convicted nine people, including two former activists of the governing Law and Justice party, of using donations to the regional Red Cross to fund an election campaign. The court in the city of Wroclaw estimated the scam cost the Red Cross some 3 million zlotys ($660,000). The former head of the regional Red Cross, who was also a regional councilor for Law and Justice, was jailed for three and a half years, while a former lawmaker received a sentence of two years and seven months. Others received shorter terms or suspended sentences. They were found guilty of using donations to finance the regional campaign for the 2015 election that brought Law and Justice to power nationally.