Hillary Rodham Clinton’s Presidential campaign may be in hot water. But, will the MSM pick up on the possible scandal?
The Wall Street Journal reports:
One of the biggest sources of political donations to Hillary Rodham Clinton is a tiny, lime-green bungalow that lies under the flight path from San Francisco International Airport.
Six members of the Paw family, each listing the house at 41 Shelbourne Ave. as their residence, have donated a combined $45,000 to the Democratic senator from New York since 2005, for her presidential campaign, her Senate re-election last year and her political action committee. In all, the six Paws have donated a total of $200,000 to Democratic candidates since 2005, election records show.
…A Clinton campaign spokesman, Howard Wolfson, said in an email: “Norman Hsu is a longtime and generous supporter of the Democratic party and its candidates, including Senator Clinton. During Mr. Hsu’s many years of active participation in the political process, there has been no question about his integrity or his commitment to playing by the rules, and we have absolutely no reason to call his contributions into question.”
Update: 8/30/07
Prosecutors in California said Hsu disappeared in 1992 after pleading no contest and agreeing to serve up to three years in prison for defrauding investors in a Ponzi scheme.
Meanwhile, Clinton’s campaign said Wednesday that it would donate to charity $23,000 in direct donations from Hsu, a New York apparel executive. And other recipients of his donations distanced themselves from the businessman.
Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer of California and Edward M. Kennedy and John F. Kerry of Massachusetts; Reps. Michael M. Honda of San Jose, Doris Matsui of Sacramento and Joe Sestak of Pennsylvania; and Al Franken, a Senate candidate in Minnesota, said they would divest their campaigns of Hsu’s donations.
Clinton campaign aides had said earlier that the candidate had no plans to return money donated by Hsu, but the campaign reversed itself after The Times’ disclosure.
“In light of the new information regarding Mr. Hsu’s outstanding warrant in California, we will be giving his contributions to charity,” Clinton spokesman Phil Singer said.
The campaign has not determined whether to return money Hsu raised, but Singer said it regularly reviews donations. “Should we have the basis to return one, we shall do so,” Singer said.
Hsu has donated or raised more than $1 million for Democrats and their causes. He served as a “bundler,” rounding up a group of donors and then packaging their checks together. He is a member of Clinton’s “HillRaiser” group, individuals who pledged to raise more than $100,000 for her presidential campaign.
t/b: Michelle Malkin
