The Daily MuckSen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) is going to donate $23,000 of her Presidential campaign funds to charity after it became public that the man who raised the cash is wanted in California. Norman Hsu is wanted for failing to appear in court for a 1991 charge of grand theft auto. But shirking the support of Hsu might be more costly than it first seems; Hsu has quietly become one of the largest campaign supporters in the country, and has claimed that he could bring in over $1 million to Hillary’s campaign. (Associated Press, WSJ’s Washington Wire)
Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID) is desperately trying to find his way out– of his guilty plea for lewd conduct. Craig has suggested that he will try to withdraw his plea, which in someone’s mind will make this whole story go away. Legal analysts aren’t so sure; although Craig could withdraw his plea, he then might face more serious charges, and be subject to the release of more details about his restroom romp. (LA Times)
Last December, four Marine Corps infantryman were charged with rampaging into Haditha, killing 24 civilians after one of their friends was killed by a roadside bomb. Today, the charges on two of the men have been dismissed and dismissal has been recommended for another man. Legal issues have thwarted the prosecutors, who were unable to even prove that the killings violated the American military code of justice. (NY Times)
The administration will push forward with its plan to screen all non-profit partners of USAID, but the funding for the program has been cut drastically. The budget cut is a huge boon for contractors, who worried about the staggering amount of control the program originally had over their activities. (Washington Post)
America Coming Together, one of the country’s largest liberal political action committee, has been fined over $750,000 for its actions in the 2004 Presidential race. The PAC raised $137 million during the cycle, but the FEC has found that much of that money was raised without regard for federal contribution limits. (Politico)
Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM) is pushing hard for a $400 million commuter rail for his state. So are several executives of one of the firms that has been hired to help build the rail system. Those executives also decided to contribute to Richardson’s presidential campaign, as well as loan their private planes, at a time when contract negotiations were still under way. (Associated Press)
