Prosecutors had previously charged a fundraiser for Mr. Liu, Xing Wu Pan, with illegally funneling donations to the candidate.

WSJ: Bharara Sees 'Pervasive' Corruption

Liu's ex-campaign treasurer, Jia "Jenny" Hou, and former Liu fundraiser Xing "Oliver" Wu Pan are facing federal charges of conspiring to break campaign finance laws.

WSJ: Trial opens for aides of NYC mayoral hopeful

The action, loosely based on a true story and filmed on location at and near a Utah university (and, briefly, in China), concerns Liu Xing (Liu Ye), a brilliant young astrophysicist from Beijing who travels to the United States for graduate study under Professor Jacob Reiser (Aidan Quinn), a scientist whose work he admires but whose best years and ideas are behind him.

NEWYORKER: Dark Matter