Big Source of Clinton's Cash is an Unlikely Address

RightinNYC · 08-28-07, 12:29 PM

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1188..._us_whats_news

Quote:

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.

That total ranks the house with residences in Greenwich, Conn., and Manhattan's Upper East Side among the top addresses to donate to the Democratic presidential front-runner over the past two years, according to an analysis by The Wall Street Journal of donations listed with the Federal Election Commission.

It isn't obvious how the Paw family is able to afford such political largess. Records show they own a gift shop and live in a 1,280-square-foot house that they recently refinanced for $270,000. William Paw, the 64-year-old head of the household, is a mail carrier with the U.S. Postal Service who earns about $49,000 a year, according to a union representative. Alice Paw, also 64, is a homemaker. The couple's grown children have jobs ranging from account manager at a software company to "attendance liaison" at a local public high school. One is listed on campaign records as an executive at a mutual fund.

The Paws' political donations closely track donations made by Norman Hsu, a wealthy New York businessman in the apparel industry who once listed the Paw home as his address, according to public records. Mr. Hsu is one of the top fund-raisers for Mrs. Clinton's presidential campaign. He has hosted or co-hosted some of her most prominent money-raising events.

...

Quote:

Kent Cooper, a former disclosure official with the Federal Election Commission, said the two-year pattern of donations justifies a probe of possible violations of campaign-finance law, which forbid one person from reimbursing another to make contributions.

"There are red lights all over this one," Mr. Cooper said.

Quote:

The Paw family is just one set of donors whose political donations are similar to Mr. Hsu's. Several business associates of Mr. Hsu in New York have made donations to the same candidates, on the same dates for similar amounts as Mr. Hsu.

On four separate dates this year, the Paw family, Mr. Hsu and five of his associates gave Mrs. Clinton a total of $47,500. In all, the family, Mr. Hsu and his associates have given Mrs. Clinton $133,000 since 2005 and a total of nearly $720,000 to all Democratic candidates.

Quote:

No one in the Paw family had ever given a campaign contribution before the 2004 presidential election, according to campaign-finance reports. Then, in July 2004, five members of the family contributed a total of $3,600 to the presidential campaign of Sen. John Kerry, the Massachusetts Democrat. Five of the checks were dated July 27, 2004. About the same time, Mr. Hsu made his first donations to a political candidate, contributing the maximum amount allowed by law to Mr. Kerry in two separate checks, on July 21, 2004, and on Aug. 6.

From then on, the correlation of campaign donations between Mr. Hsu and the Paw family has continued. The first donations to Mrs. Clinton came Dec. 23, 2004, when Mr. Hsu and one Paw family member donated the then-maximum $4,000 to her Senate campaign in two $2,000 checks, campaign-finance records show. In March 2005, the individuals gave a total of $17,500 to Mrs. Clinton.

Since then, Mr. Hsu, his New York associates and the Paw family have continued to donate to Democratic candidates. This year, Alice Paw and four of the Paw children have donated the maximum $4,600 to Mrs. Clinton's presidential campaign.

Shaaaady ****.

Let's be honest here - the odds of this being done legally is basically zero.

Iriemon · 08-28-07, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RightinNYC

Big Source of Clinton's Cash Is an Unlikely Address - WSJ.com

Shaaaady ****.

Let's be honest here - the odds of this being done legally is basically zero.

Are you doing this to suggest Clinton had a hand in or knowledge of this, or to inform us what a shady character Hsu is?

RightinNYC · 08-28-07, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iriemon

Are you doing this to suggest Clinton had a hand in or knowledge of this, or to inform us what a shady character Hsu is?

I have absolutely no doubt that she had no idea that any of this was happening. I'm pointing it out because it looks like a near-certain case of electoral fundraising fraud, and Hsu should be penalized/the money returned. I don't think it has any broader implications for Hillary or any of the other candidates.

Of course, I'll be honest and admit that the fact that it's hillary and not, say, Giuliani, made me a bit more eager to post the story.

aps · 08-28-07, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RightinNYC

I have absolutely no doubt that she had no idea that any of this was happening. I'm pointing it out because it looks like a near-certain case of electoral fundraising fraud, and Hsu should be penalized/the money returned. I don't think it has any broader implications for Hillary or any of the other candidates.

That's too bad. I'd love to see her out of the race....period.

Quote:

Of course, I'll be honest and admit that the fact that it's hillary and not, say, Giuliani, made me a bit more eager to post the story.

LOL I know the feeling, and thanks for your honesty!

RightinNYC · 08-31-07, 01:55 AM

Update: Turns out the guy in question in the original article has apparently been a fugitive for 16 years. Clinton is giving away all the money she got from him and now says she will vet her major donors.

Clinton: Campaign to Vet Major Donors

Quote:

NEW YORK (AP) - Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton Thursday defended her campaign's efforts to investigate the backgrounds of its fundraisers after it was disclosed that one of her top money-raisers is wanted on a felony fraud charge in California.

Clinton also sidestepped questions of whether she would return the money the fundraiser, Norman Hsu, brought in, saying the campaign would analyze the contributions and "take action if that's warranted."

At a press conference with New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer to promote the re-authorization of the State Children's Health Program, Clinton said she and her campaign had been "surprised" by the news first reported in the Los Angeles Times that Hsu appeared to be a fugitive from justice in California. In 1991, Hsu pleaded no contest to a single felony count of grand theft but failed to appear in court for sentencing.

"I wish Mr. Hsu well in dealing with the problems he's confronting," Clinton said. "When you have as many contributors as I'm fortunate enough to have, we do the very best job we can based on the information available to us to make appropriate vetting decisions."

Her campaign announced Wednesday it was donating $23,000 Hsu had directly contributed to her Senate and presidential campaigns and her political action committee to charity.

Hsu donated nearly $260,000 to Democratic federal candidates, their political action committees and to Democratic Party organizations since 2003. Several other Democrats also announced Wednesday that they would divest themselves of Hsu's contributions. Among them were Sens. Edward Kennedy and John Kerry of Massachusetts and Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein of California.

Seems like a responsible reaction.

chevydriver1123 · 08-31-07, 09:49 AM

Apparently Obama got some money from the same guy and he is donating the money to charity.

Iriemon · 08-31-07, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RightinNYC

Update: Turns out the guy in question in the original article has apparently been a fugitive for 16 years. Clinton is giving away all the money she got from him and now says she will vet her major donors.

Clinton: Campaign to Vet Major Donors

Seems like a responsible reaction.

More on the fugitive:

Democratic fundraiser is a fugitive in plain sight - Los Angeles Times

RightinNYC · 08-31-07, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iriemon

More on the fugitive:

Democratic fundraiser is a fugitive in plain sight - Los Angeles Times

I'm perplexed as to how CA never followed up on this.

Iriemon · 08-31-07, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RightinNYC

I'm perplexed as to how CA never followed up on this.

me too

.....

RightinNYC · 08-31-07, 04:23 PM

Well that's that:

Top Dem Fundraiser Turns Himself In

Quote:

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (AP) - A top Democratic fundraiser wanted as a fugitive in California turned himself in Friday to face a grand theft charge.

Hsu appeared in court accompanied by a lawyer and publicist, both of whom declined to say whether the New York apparel executive would immediately post bail. A warrant was issued for his arrest after he skipped the sentencing for a 1991 grand theft charge.

In the ensuing years, Hsu became a top donor to numerous Democratic candidates and was a fundraiser for presidential contender Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. He also had contributed to Sen. Barack Obama's past Senate campaign and his political action committee.

After reports surfaced this week of Hsu's fugitive status in California, Clinton joined other candidates in returning thousands of dollars he raised, but the allegations distracted her campaign just as it prepared to ramp up for the intense post-Labor Day stretch.

The campaign announced Wednesday it would return $23,000 in contributions that Hsu made to her presidential and senatorial campaigns and to HillPac.

On Thursday, Obama's campaign said he would give to charity the $2,000 Hsu contributed to his 2004 Senate campaign and the $5,000 Hsu gave to his political action committee, Hopefund. Hsu's $43,700 in donations to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and $2,500 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee also will go to charity, both groups announced Thursday.