The New York Sun recently reported that a campaign fundraising group for Sen. Clinton, “New York Senate 2000,” has agreed to pay a $35,000 civil penalty and to admit that reports it made to the federal government understated by $721,895 donations to a lavish, star-studded Hollywood fundraiser held on her behalf.
This apparently concludes the Federal Election Commission’s investigation into a complaint filed in 2001 by the person who financed the fundraising concert, Peter Paul. Said Mr. Paul: “It's a kind of vindication, but this is only one battle,” as he is also currently suing both Sen. Clinton and her husband on other matters.
The attorney for “New York Senate 2000,” Marc Elias, claims the settlement with the FEC “makes clear that there was no violation of federal election law by the Hillary Rodham Clinton for Senate Committee in connection with the August 13, 2000 event.”
Sen. Clinton was also recently caught with her hand in the Jack Abramoff cookie jar, and returned $2,000 in contributions from the Saginaw Indian Tribe, which Abramoff represented. Clinton spokeswoman Ann Lewis conceded that “after examining our records we found two contributions for $1,000 from tribes which have been clients of Jack Abramoff in the past,” and that Hillary will give the donations to a New York charity “to ensure there is no question of any connection with Mr. Abramoff.”
