Being connected to a man under federal indictment for money laundering and mail fraud is often a strike against a politician.

But even after the 2008 indictment of his business partner Aslam I. Kapadia, Montgomery County Judge Alan Sadler accepted a $500 donation to his political campaign from Kapadia, of Sugar Land, on Feb. 20. Sadler and Kapadia share ownership in a number of gas stations around the Houston area.

Kapadia, according to federal documents, was part of a massive money laundering scheme that began in 1999, based on intricate loans between numerous shell groups.

Sadler told Texas Watchdog that the case has been resolved to Kapadia's satisfaction.

"He has met with the prosecutors and the FBI," Sadler said. "And they say there is not a problem ... and this will be resolved."

On April 1, Kapadia pleaded guilty to a single count in the indictment. The plea agreement also allows that Kapadia may be able to get some leniency in his sentence if he can give prosecutors information on his indicted colleagues.

Anyway, "this all happened before we were partners," Sadler explained.  He added that Kapadia's deal with the feds was struck before he donated the $500 to Sadler's campaign.

Reached by phone Tuesday, Kapadia referred a reporter to his lawyer.

Sadler is in no way connected to the Kapadia indictment. The judge has, though, weathered a number of storms including last year’s DWI arrest and subsequent guilty plea and some tax issues in which he and Kapadia reportedly faced state and federal tax liens worth $23,548.

Sadler told The Courier of Montgomery County that the tax liens resulted from Hurricane Ike damages, and that Kapadia cleared the tax liens in September.

Despite any deals struck and leniency promised to his business friend, it may be a politically savvy move to give back that donation.

Or not.

Sadler thumped his opponent in the Republican primary in March by almost 14,000 votes, and so far, no Democrat has come along to challenge him in November, the Montgomery County Elections office told us.