October 21, 2014 5:23 PM

Barfield pleads guilty to embezzling nearly $2 million from Dewhurst campaign

Former trusted aide to Lite Guv could face three decades in prison

Appearing before a federal judge who will later sentence him, former David Dewhurst adviser Kenneth "Buddy" Barfield on Tuesday pleaded guilty to embezzling about $1.8 million from Dewhurst's 2012 campaign for United States Senate.

Barfield could be sentenced to as many as 28 years in prison and forced to pay millions in fines and restitution. He declined to comment after Tuesday’s court hearing. He is free on bond for now. The sentencing date has not been set.

In a statement, the Department of Justice said Barfield admitted to knowingly engaging in a scheme to steal campaign funds and use it for his own personal expenses including his home mortgage, school tuition for his children, personal investments and other living expenses. Among other ways he was making off with cash, Barfield submitted inflated invoices to himself so that he could authorize payments to his companies.