http://today.reuters.com/investing/financeArticle.aspx?type=bondsNews&storyID=2006-01-04T151410Z_01_N04362310_RTRIDST_0_CRIME-ABRAMOFF-BUSH-UPDATE-1.XMLBush campaign to give Abramoff money to charity
WASHINGTON, Jan 4 (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush's re-election campaign will give to charity $6,000 in contributions linked to a lobbyist at the center of a mounting corruption scandal, the Republican National Committee said on Wednesday.
Lobbyist Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty to fraud charges on Tuesday and agreed to help U.S. prosecutors in a corruption probe that could involve several top Republican lawmakers, including former House of Representatives Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas.
RNC spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt said a total of $6,000 will be given to the American Heart Association.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0601040267jan04,1,1069209.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hedCharity to get cash lobbyist gave Hastert
WASHINGTON -- House Speaker Dennis Hastert, one of the top recipients of campaign contributions from a Washington lobbyist who pleaded guilty Tuesday in a scheme to bribe congressmen and their aides, announced later in the day that he would turn over to charity all the donations he received from the lobbyist and his clients.
Ron Bonjean, a spokesman for Hastert (R-Ill.), said the speaker's campaign staff was working to determine the amount of donations that Hastert and his personal political action committee had received from lobbyist Jack Abramoff and Abramoff's clients. The total could be about $69,000, according to a campaign finance watchdog group.
"The speaker believes that, while these contributions were legal, it is appropriate to give the money to charity," said Bonjean, who added that Hastert has not yet picked a charity.
http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Campaign/120805_abramoff.htmlIn Florida, meanwhile, Rep. Katherine Harris (R) has been attacked for receiving $51,000 from two defense companies, MZM Inc. and ADCS Inc., associated with Cunningham, who resigned from Congress earlier this month after pleading guilty to bribery.
Harris, who is the GOP front-runner to take on Sen. Bill Nelson (D) in 2006, announced Friday she would donate the $51,000 to charity.