Sen. George Allen
and Rep. Heather Wilson, two Republicans in tight
reelection contests, plan to donate to charities the
contributions they received from Mark Foley, the
former Florida congressman ensnared in an e-mail sex
scandal.
The National
Republican Congressional Committee, which has received
$550,000 from Foley since 1996, will keep its money,
committee spokesman Carl Forti said. ''We will be
using the money like every other
contribution--to help elect Republicans across the
country,'' Forti said.
Virginia's Allen
plans to give away the $2,000 his campaign received
from Foley last year. Wilson of New Mexico will donate
$8,000 she received between 1998 and 2002. ''We're
obviously, actively looking to give it to an
appropriate charity or entity,'' said Allen campaign
adviser Dan Allen.
Since he was
elected in 1994, Foley has contributed $30,000 to
congressional candidates. His contributions to the National
Republican Congressional Committee were his single
largest political donations.
Returning money
from scandal-plagued politicians has become common
practice this election cycle amid a series of guilty pleas,
investigations, and confessions of wrongdoing by lobbyists
and members of Congress. Among those whose
contributions have found their way to charities are
former House Republican leader Tom DeLay, disgraced
lobbyist Jack Abramoff, former Republican congressman Randy
''Duke'' Cunningham of California, and Republican
congressman Bob Ney of Ohio. (AP)
