Democrats Give Away Fundraiser's Cash {Who's Hsu?} [See #28 for update]

AP via SFGate ^ | 8/29/7 | JIM KUHNHENN, Associated Press Writer

[SmithL]

WASHINGTON, (AP) -- Democrats began distancing themselves Wednesday from a fundraiser who is wanted in California for failing to appear for sentencing on a 1991 grand theft charge.

Al Franken, a Senate candidate in Minnesota, Rep. Michael Honda of California and Rep. Joe Sestak of Pennsylvania said they would divest their campaigns of donations from Norman Hsu, whose legal encounters and links to other Democratic donors have drawn public scrutiny in the past two days.

Hsu is a fundraiser for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and is described as a devoted fan of the presidential candidate and New York senator. He planned to co-host a money event for Clinton on Sept. 30.

Reports in The Wall Street Journal and The Los Angeles Times this week have caused numerous Democratic candidates and organization who have benefited from Hsu's contributions to reconsider the donations.

Franken's campaign received $2,300 from Hsu and Sestak and Honda each received $1,000 for their re-election efforts.

The Clinton campaign did not immediately comment on Hsu's legal situation. But in a statement issued Tuesday, the campaign defended Hsu in response to the Journal report about a San Francisco family whose contribution patterns tracked Hsu's.

"Norman Hsu is a longtime and generous supporter of the Democratic Party and its candidates, including Senator Clinton," Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson said in a statement Tuesday. "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 or to return them."

Federal Election Commission records show that Hsu has donated $260,000 to Democratic Party groups and federal candidates since 2004. . . .

[holden]

And Hsu's lawyer, a well-known, high-level Dem lawyer, said he recently underwent a bankruptcy. Wolfson simply is not to be believed when he says "we have absolutely no reason to call his contributions into question or to return them.

So, not long after a bankruptcy, a person donates hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Democrats and there's "absolutely no reason to call his contributions into question or to return them."

We believe you, Howie! --NOT!

HF

[Grampa Dave]

[RAV_USA]

Will this scandal be on the MSM as often as the Abramoff scandal?