D’Amato to Donate Suspicious Campaign Funds to Charity
WASHINGTON — Sen. Alfonse M. D’Amato (R-N.Y.) will donate to charity $30,000 in allegedly illegal campaign contributions from a Puerto Rican developer, a spokesman said Wednesday.
D’Amato will give the money to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, said Kieran Mahoney, an aide to the senator.
Ernie Allen, president of the Arlington, Va.-based center, said the money would go into a special fund to be used for extraordinary purposes--such as bringing in experts or unique technology--to assist in investigations. He said he had no qualms about the money’s origins.
D’Amato, who is up for reelection this year, had asked the Federal Election Commission in November what to do about the money. Last week, the FEC recommended that D’Amato’s campaign committee give the money to charity, the federal government or a local government.
Federal law limits individuals to contributions of $2,000 per candidate per election cycle.
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