Hilleary Fudges Return of Abramoff Money
From the ChattanoogaTimes Free Press: A political action committee affiliated with former U.S. Rep. Van Hilleary brought in only $100 through March 31, according to Federal Election Commission documents. The PAC was set up in the wake of the Jack Abramoff scandal to raise and donate money for charity. Treasurer J. Sam Daniels, who made the $100 donation, said in an e-mail Wednesday that the Tennessee Leadership PAC now has raised $7,600 and sent a contribution to the American Indian College Fund. Mr. Daniels, of Charlotte, N.C., did not respond to requests for documentation of the donations.
Nicole Adams, spokeswoman for the American Indian College Fund, said the group has not received any contribution from Tennessee Leadership PAC.
Tennessee Leadership PAC was announced in January as a way to collect money for charity because Mr. Hilleary could not return money given by Mr. Abramoff or the American Indian tribal clients he represented.
Mr. Hilleary was one of many former or current federal legislators from both parties who took donations from Mr. Abramoff or his clients. Mr. Abramoff pleaded guilty in January to federal charges of tax evasion, fraud and conspiracy to bribe public officials.
Jennifer Coxe, campaign manager for Mr. Hilleary’s U.S. Senate bid, has said the PAC is unrelatedto the campaign. Ms. Coxe has said that the Hilleary Senate campaign has not received money from Mr. Abramoff or money directed by the former lobbyist. She has said the PAC plans to raise and donate money for the amount of any direct contributions from Mr. Abramoff or his wife and any donations directed by Mr. Abramoff. She has said the sum is $11,000 to$20,000.
Ms. Coxe said in January that the PAC intends to raise $20,000 for the Denver-based American IndianCollege Fund. She said Wednesday that Mr.Daniels is handling all questions specifically related to the PAC.
Campaign officials for Mr.Hilleary’s opponents in the U.S. Senate race responded to the PAC’s reported fund-raising totals.
Ben Mitchell, campaign manager for GOP challenger Bob Corker, said Mr. Hilleary “set up a scheme which the public record shows he hasn’t even followed through with.”
In an e-mail statement,Andrew Shulman, campaign spokesman for GOP opponent Ed Bryant, said, “This is just more Van Hilleary trickery designed to hide the fact that despite railing against casino gambling in the past, Van Hilleary has close ties to …Jack Abramoff.”
Carol Andrews, spokeswomanfor U.S. Rep. Harold Ford Jr., who is running in the Democratic primary, said in an e-mail statement, “Voters want change in this election. And all Van Hilleary represents is more of the same.”
Ms. Coxe said since Abramoff-related donations were given to committees that have been closed, there was no way to return the donations.
“No one had any way of knowing that the people giving the money were engaged in unsavory activities,” she said.
By Michael Davis
