Santorum, 4 Pa. House members donate lobbyist's cash

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06005/633105.stm

Sen. Rick Santorum and four House members from Pennsylvania said yesterday they would donate all or at least some of the campaign contributions they received from lobbyist Jack Abramoff and Indian tribes he once represented.

A total of eight Pennsylvania lawmakers accepted money connected to Mr. Abramoff since 1999 -- including Sen. Arlen Specter, who like Santorum received $6,000, according to records from the Center for Responsive Politics.

Two of the eight, Reps. Joe Pitts and Phil English, do not plan to give up any donation, their spokesmen said.

Mr. Specter's office yesterday did not respond to repeated requests for comment. Records show that, in 2004, he accepted $4,000 from Mr. Abramoff and his wife, and $2,000 from a tribe represented by Mr. Abramoff.

<snip>

Rep. Tim Holden is the only Democrat among the eight Pennsylvania lawmakers who got money related to Mr. Abramoff.

Why are they allowed to only give half or some part? Isn't ALL of the money they got from Abramoff illegal? Shouldn't they "give" all of it away? And is anybody checking to make sure these charities are real and not just going back to themselves?

The tribe donations, on the face of it, are legal. It's only the potential quid pro quo money that is questionable. And that awaits to be proven.

for it?

http://smh.com.au/news/world/abramoff-scandal-a-charities-windfall/2006/01/05/1136387576073.html

From the Oval Office to Capitol Hill, prominent Republicans are scrambling to shed campaign contributions linked to the disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, as his guilty pleas in fraud and corruption cases opened a painful debate within the party over its leadership and direction.

President George Bush is giving $US6000 ($8000) in political contributions from Abramoff, his wife and a client to charity, but will keep more than $US100,000 that Abramoff collected for Mr Bush's 2004 re-election campaign, officials said.

The White House spokesman, Scott McClellan, said the $US6000 from the Abramoffs and the Saginaw Chippewa tribe of Michigan would go to the American Heart Association.

A Republican National Committee spokeswoman, Tracey Schmitt, said the money Abramoff raised as a "pioneer" for the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign would be kept. "There is nothing to indicate that those contributions reflect anything but support for the re-election campaign," she said. :wow:

Abramoff earned "pioneer" status in the 2004 Bush-Cheney campaign by raising between $US100,000 and $US200,000.

...more...

Ill-gotten money from a crook going to crooks :banghead:

It will probably all go to evil organizations that hate gay people and hate freedom and are politically connected.

Pat Robertson is probably already counting his money.

why giving the money to charity makes things better. Either it was legal of Santorum et al to have accepted it in the first place or not: if not, how is this different than "giving away" that stolen TV you got from your low-life BIL or putting back those cookies after Mom caught you with your hand in the jar. And if they think it's somehow morally dicey now, why not just give it back to Abramoff and let him deal with the consequences?

I'd be a lot more impressed by someone who had the spine to stand up and say Yeah, I took the money in good faith and spent it accordingly. Worked for Nixon in his "Checkers" speech.

Maybe that's why I'm not in politics.

by Abramoff and Scanlon - it should be held in a trustee account - not "given" to charity to launder it.

Those cookies were not returned to mom - they were given to some other person - mom is not getting the cookies back - this is just more scamming by the scammers.

Like they think this will actually clear them???

when it came to them from the Indian Tribes at the behest of Abramoff and Abramoff did nothing for them.

Why not give it back to the Tribes? They were the ones ripped off by this.

They'll never get it back from Abramoff & Co.

of these "charities"...... this is such BS.

Even if they give the money away to good causes...
it does not absolve them of their crimes of taking bribes
in the first place.

of them are donating the money back to tribal charities.

It is either going to elect a moderate Democrat or a Republican. Which would you prefer?

From what I remember Pottsville and the surrounding voting area was very close to a 50 50 split with just a few votes tipping republicans to win in most cases.

Just last local election Dem's are gaining ground and lots of young voters around here know how wonderful repukes are.

as for the money hehe yea I can see him taking it this place is so corrupt its not funny its been like that since the 1800s I don't see it changing any time soon :(

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/pages/results/states/PA/P/00/index.html

Dauphin County: 54% Bush

Lebanon County: 67% Bush

Schuylkill County: 55% Bush

Berks County: 53% Bush

Perry County: 72% Bush

http://www.co.schuylkill.pa.us/Offices/Election/2004_General/Results.asp

http://www.co.schuylkill.pa.us/Offices/Election/2005_General/Results.asp

Like I said were more purple then any thing.
and were slowly wining ground.

I just knew they would make it. Past unethical behavior is a pretty good indicator....

I hope Bob Casey makes note of Santorum's Abramoff/PAC $ and Jason Altmire makes note of Hart's Abramoff/PAC $.

How about giving it back to the tribes that donated it? Or to Native American charities?