St. Thomas U's GOP chair appears in court on sex trafficking conspiracy charges

A 19-year-old University of St. Thomas student and chairwoman of the school's Republican chapter made her first court appearance Monday on charges that she aided a prominent Minnesota GOP activist in a conspiracy to traffic minors for sex.

The judge also unredacted a grand jury indictment Monday, officially identifying Gisela Castro Medina as the person who is accused, along with 30-year-old Anton "Tony" Lazzaro, of recruiting and trafficking underage victims for commercial sex acts.

The allegations against the two state GOP activists are part of a ballooning scandal that shook Republican Party politics in Minnesota. Lazzaro's ties to GOP Chair Jennifer Carnahan have prompted calls for her resignation.

https://www.startribune.com/st-thomas-u-s-gop-chair-appears-in-court-on-sex-trafficking-conspiracy-charges/600088400/