Firm Fined For Illegal Gifts To Ag Secretary

The nation’s largest grower of raisins, prunes and other dried fruits and nuts was fined $1.5 million Tuesday for illegally making and condoning gifts to former Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy.

Sun-Diamond Growers of Pleasanton, Calif., also was placed on probation for five years by U.S. District Court Judge Ricardo M. Urbina. It will have to file quarterly reports on all expenditures involving federal employees and is subject to surprise visits by probation officials.

The company was convicted last September of giving about $6,000 in illegal gratuities to Espy and illegally contributing $4,000 to the unsuccessful congressional campaign of his brother, Henry Espy.