title:  Former Tea Party Congressman Brought In Court In Shackles And Handcuffs On Felony Charge
text: Former Texas Republican Rep. Steve Stockman s Twitter handle is @SteveWorks4You but apparently he works for himself. Stockman, who served who served two stints in the U.S. House of Representatives, spent part of Friday in federal court after being brought in on charges of violating federal election law during his last term in office. The former tea party Congressman was brought into court shackled and handcuffed, KPRC reports.Stockman is accused of conspiring to violate federal election laws during his last term in office   a felony that could send him to federal prison if he s convicted. Judge Stephen Smith set the bail at $25,000.Prosecutors alleged as Stockmen stood before the judge that the former tea party Congressman had conspired with two former employees to funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars to his personal use.The complaint states that in 2011 Stockman set up a non-profit called Life Without Limits in Las Vegas. After a single contributor donated $350,000 to the charity, Stockman then allegedly funneled back to himself through donations made by his employees.Stockman is a staunch supporter of Donald Trump s. In 2016 he tweeted the following:I served on thewhitewater investigation in the 90's. Anybody in the phone book would b better & more honest than a Clinton. @RealJamesWoods  Steve Stockman (@SteveWorks4You) May 7, 2016And today, Stockman was in handcuffs.KPRC reports:When Stockman was told he would need to have an attorney by 2 p.m Friday, he said  I ll have to hustle with that. Smith responded  Yeah, you will. These are serious charges. In 2013, it was revealed that Stockman s 2011 and 2012 income was listed as $350,000 in salary and fees from an entity called  Presidential Trust Marketing.  No one knows just what Presidential Trust Marketing is or does, though. The loud-mouthed, attention-seeking former Congressman, also an accountant, failed to make federally required disclosures about business affiliations that stretch from Texas to the British Virgin Islands. We don t know if that relates to the charges today, but it s odd that Stockman keeps mishandling the same amount of money: $350,000.Stockman left Congress after a failed primary challenge against Sen. John Cornyn in 2014 after serving two terms.Photo: Gage Skidmore via Flickr, allowable under Creative Commons license