A federal judge denied a request by Philadelphia political consultant Kenneth Smukler, a  former aide to retiring U.S. Congressman Bob Brady, to dismiss the election law-related charges against him involving two alleged schemes.

Smukler is facing prosecution for his alleged role in paying off one of Brady’s political opponents to drop out of the 2012 Democratic primary. He has also been charged by superseding indictment with allegedly making hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal donations to former Congresswoman Marjorie Margolies’ campaign in her failed 2014 bid to reclaim her seat, while allegedly obstructing the corresponding federal investigation.