Jury selection begins in trial of former GOP strategist Anton Lazzaro
MINNEAPOLIS -- Jury selection begins Tuesday for a former GOP strategist accused of sex trafficking minors. Anton Lazzaro is accused of recruiting 15- and 16-year-olds for sex in exchange for cash and other items.
His co-conspirator Gisela Medina has pleaded guilty and is expected to testify against him. All five minors are also expected to take the stand.
Here is a look back at the 32-year-old at the center of case.
FBI agents raided Anton "Tony" Lazzaro's downtown Minneapolis condo in December 2020. Inside his $875,000 place at the luxury Ivy high rise, investigators seized nearly $400,000 in cash, along with foreign currency and bars believed to be gold. They found a GPS tracker, thumb drives, laptops, tablets, and more than a dozen cell phones. Agents also confiscated his Ferrari.
By all accounts, Lazzaro was living large until the raid, which was linked to allegations of sex trafficking minors. His social media shows pictures with a president and high-ranking politicians. Flashy cars, cash and private planes are splashed across his accounts.
Lazzaro grew up in southern California. He had a few LLCs registered with the California Secretary of State's office, all which are now dissolved. There's little information about the companies online.
In Minnesota, Lazzaro's Gold River Group LLC is inactive. The website says it specializes in securities, family office, energy, and political industries, but offers little more.
His Big Tent Republicans PAC, now offline, says it worked to broaden the base and appeal of the Republican party, and it supported party candidates.
Lazzaro donated roughly $190,000 to Minnesota Republicans.
In 2019, he joined then Minnesota GOP Chair Jennifer Carnahan co-hosting a podcast called #truthmatters. Until his arrest, he'd been a main stay on the political scene, donating to campaigns, and offering his opinion on TV.
The trial is expected to last two to three weeks.
Lazzaro denies the allegations and has said the charges are politically motivated.