Guess the political affiliation

Politician sentenced to 4 years in prison for stealing government money. How do you determine which party he belongs to? Well, if the Associated Press doesn't mention it until the 9th paragraph it is safe to assume the crook is a Democrat. A second clue would be if the stolen money is laundered through the NAACP.

Former Rep. Frank Ballance was sentenced Wednesday to four years in prison for conspiring to divert taxpayer money to his law firm and family through a charitable organization he helped start.

The former lawmaker had turned the Hyman Foundation into a "very complex criminal organization" that diverted taxpayer money for his purposes through front organizations including the Vance County NAACP and his church.

At least he practiced good family values by involving his son in his criminal enterprises.

The former congressman's son, state District Court Judge Garey Ballance, 35, pleaded guilty in April to a federal misdemeanor charge of failing to file an income tax return in 2000 and was sentenced Wednesday to nine months in prison and fined $5,000.