MINNEAPOLIS — Prosecutors detailed an unflattering portrait of a Minneapolis Republican hob-nobber and mega-donor Anton Lazzaro as a playboy who trafficked in underage girls and craved sex preferably if the girls were without tattoos. The portrait is in a prosecution brief filed in federal court. Lazzaro goes on trial March 20 in the sex cases, which exploded the state Republican Party 20 months ago. The GOP wreckage included the ouster Jennifer Carnahan as state GOP chair. The party has also been shaken additionally in recent weeks about irregular bookkeeping and noncompliance with Federal election Commission requirements. Those violations, going back to when Jennifer Carnahan was party chair, have resulted in $110,000 in fines.

In orange. Has pleaded innocence to “commercial sex acts.”

In happier times. When a high-roller.

Sex life allegations

Prosecutors claim Lazzaro conspired with Gisela Castro Medina, who was chair of the College Republicans chapter at the University of St. Thomas, to recruit underage girls online. This began in May 2020 when Medina was 18 and still in high school, according to the prosecution brief. Lazzaro was 30. Castro Medina, who has since pleaded guilty to sex trafficking, said Lazzaro preferred young, tiny girls without tattoos and liked them “broken” and vulnerable, Castro Medina said. She said was paid “well over $50,000.” This included her St. Thomas tuition, her off-campus apartment and her Mini Cooper. Lazzaro, according to prosecutors, often sent cars to take the girls to his luxury penthouse condo at the Hotel Ivy in downtown Minneapolis. “Once the girls Castro Medina recruited arrived at Lazzaro’s apartment, a similar pattern ensued,” the brief alleges. “Lazzaro would brag about his wealth and connections. More details from the brief: Lazaro would ply the girls with hard liquor. He would take out stacks of cash and offer the girls precise sums of money to perform certain sex acts — $100 to kiss. $400 for sex, with him and sometimes each other.  He would send them home with cash, vapes, alcohol, Plan B emergency birth control pills, and cell phones.

Lazzaro largesse

An audit of campaign donations from Lazzaro found $270,000 to Republican campaigns and political committees. Some specifics:

> $42,000. To the state party.

> $31,000. To southern Minnesota Congressman Jim Hagedorn.

> $15,600.To Congressman Tom Emmer from Cities suburbs west to St. Cloud..

Carnahan and Lazzaro became friends when she ran unsuccessfully for the Legislative seat in 2016. He backed her for state party chair in 2017. He attended her 2018 wedding to Hagedorn. They hosted a podcast together for a few months. Lazzaro also helped run the campaign of Republican Lacy Johnson against incumbent Congress member Ilhan Omar in 2020.  Lazzaro liked to flaunted his connections with prominent Republicans. His Facebook page carried pictures with President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. He founded a political action committee, Big Tent Republicans, which promoted a more inclusive party.

Lazzaro profile

Anton Lazzaro, “Tony” to friends, graduated in physics and neuroscience from Brigham Young University. In 2009 he joined of Gold River Group, which calls itself a global custom marketing and technology solutions company. In corporate documents he listed himself as organizer, owner and manager. Online the  company put down addresses at 1621  Central avenue, Cheyenne, Wyoming; at 46 East Peninsula Center, Suite 359, Rolling Hills Estates, California; and at Lazzaro’s penthouse at the Ivy Hotel, 201 South 11th Street, Suite 1920, Minneapolis. Biographers gave been unable to trace his family details. It is thought  he has a partner. How he made his fortune has not been established publicly, but there seems no doubt as to his wealth. He lived in the 19th floor Ivy Hotel penthouse in Minneapolis, drove a Ferrari, wrote generous five-figure checks to Republican candidates and causes. He created a website with state Republican chair Jennifer Carnahan and staunchly supported Donald Trump’s failed reelection campaign. When arrested, agents seized $371,000 at his Minneapolis penthouse, $1 million in gold and silver, 13 cellphones, several laptops, a GPS tracker, and precious foreign coins and currency. He has been in jail without bail sinceAugust 2021. He had been under FBI watch since November 2020.

Hush money

Lazzaro has been sued by one girl who claims he offered $1,000 in hush money to her and her parents. He wanted them to sign a nondisclosure agreement, the girl alleges.