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A longtime adviser to Hillary Rodham Clinton personally sought and secured the funding for what prosecutors say was an illegal shadow operation to boost Clintons 2008 presidential bid, according to court papers released as part of a wide-ranging campaign finance investigation.

Washington businessman Jeffrey E. Thompson, who pleaded guilty Monday to federal conspiracy charges in a case that has focused largely on D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Grays (D) 2010 campaign, told federal prosecutors that Clinton aide Minyon Moore asked him to fund pro-Clinton efforts in four states and Puerto Rico costing $608,750 during the hard-fought 2008 Democratic presidential primary campaign, the documents show.

Thompson financed the operation through his accounting firm, at times funneling funds through a company owned by a longtime associate. A spokeswoman said Moore did not know that Thompson was funding the project off the books, adding that Moore had asked Thompson to raise money directly for the campaign.

Prosecutors said they had no evidence showing Clinton was aware of the efforts.

But Thompson, in his discussions with authorities, depicted Moore as playing a far more intimate role in the off-the-books campaign than was previously indicated securing the money and helping guide the strategy by feeding internal campaign documents and receiving messages about the media coverage.

Court documents do not identify Moore by name, but she is referenced as individual A, according to people familiar with the investigation.

Moores alleged participation in the scheme could have violated federal campaign finance laws, which prohibit officers or agents of a campaign from soliciting or arranging for illegal contributions. Election lawyers said pursuing charges against Moore could be difficult, however, because the five-year statute of limitations has expired.

Ginny Terzano, a spokeswoman for Moores consulting firm, Dewey Square Group, declined to make Moore available for comment.

Terzano said Moore has been fully cooperating with the investigation and that she was entirely unaware of any inappropriate activities. She said Moore both obeyed the law and acted with the highest ethical and professional standards.

Moores connection to the Thompson case was first revealed in September when court filings indicated that she had introduced Thompson to a New York marketing consultant who had unsuccessfully pitched the Clinton campaign on the use of street teams to improve Clintons standing in urban communities. The consultant, Troy White, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor tax charge in September as part of the ongoing investigation.

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Hillary Clinton adviser Minyon Moore sought funds for ...