Former GOP operative and donor sentenced to 21 years for sex trafficking

Former Minnesota Republican Party operative and donor Anton "Tony" Lazzaro has been sentenced to 21 years in prison for sex trafficking. Lazzaro was found guilty of bringing five teenage girls to his apartment in downtown Minneapolis and paying them for sex. His co-defendant and recruiter, Gisela Castro Medina, who pleaded guilty, will be sentenced next month. Lazzaro has filed a motion for a new trial, indicating a likely appeal. Prior to his arrest, Lazzaro was an activist and financier in the Minnesota GOP. The case led to the resignation of former state party chair Jennifer Carnahan.