Contributor pleads guity to illegal donations (some to Kerry)

[exclark4dean]

by Marisa Taylor
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

February 12, 2004

A former San Diego defense contractor pleaded guilty yesterday to illegally giving two California congressmen and Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry campaign contributions that his company later listed as expenses in Navy contracts.

*snip*


Between 1993 and 1998, SAT employees and the company's political action committee contributed $31,400 to Kerry's campaign, making them fourth on his list of top donors during that period. Meanwhile, the AARGM program was winning strong bipartisan support. When the Department of Defense didn't immediately set aside money for the program in the mid-1990s, the three lawmakers were among a group of politicians who fired off letters demanding that the funds be released.

Kerry, who had long worked with SAT's Massachusetts partner, Militech, wrote 18 letters to military officials and members of Congress in a push for funding.

"Mr. Secretary, I ask that you advise me immediately of the grounds on which the Navy refuses to release these funds," Kerry wrote to the secretary of the Navy. "Development of this important program already has been delayed by the unnecessary delays in fund ing. This not only is resulting in our air forces being unable to benefit from the protection of the AARGM ... but also very soon will require the contractor to terminate its personnel associated with this project."


http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20040212-9999-1n12donors.html

[girl gone mad]

1. sigh. n/t

[Tim_in_HK]

2. Doesn't seem like a big deal.

Sounds like the giver was the 'evil doer', not the receiver

"The politicians, who have not been accused of wrongdoing, said they had cooperated in the investigation and were unaware of any improprieties concerning the donations.

The three lawmakers have handled the question of what to do with the illegal contributions differently.

A Kerry spokeswoman said the senator donated $13,000 to charity as soon as federal authorities told him what had happened."