Abramoff co-chaired Sen. fundraiser ($250,000) for Mel Martinez (R-FL)

[RSchewe]

Martinez, Abramoff and the $250,000 Problem

Last week, Sen. Mel Martinez (R-FL) "made a point of returning $2,500 in campaign contributions from embattled Rep. Bob Ney -- an Ohio Republican whom convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff claims he bribed," the Orlando Sentinel's Scott Maxwell notes.

Said a statement: "Senator Martinez wants to make it crystal clear to his constituents that he is not interested in any campaign donation that has even a hint of impropriety in this matter."

"Well, now the Orlando Republican has a quarter-million-dollar decision. It turns out that Martinez kicked off his 2004 campaign for Senate with a fundraiser that wasn't just connected to Abramoff -- it was co-chaired by him."

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2006/01/26/martinez_abramoff_and_the_250000_problem.html


Source:

MARTINEZ FUNDRAISER PROMPTS QUESTIONS

Last week, U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez made a point of returning $2,500 in campaign contributions from embattled Rep. Bob Ney -- an Ohio Republican whom convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff claims he bribed.

Martinez's office said at the time: "Senator Martinez wants to make it crystal clear to his constituents that he is not interested in any campaign donation that has even a hint of impropriety in this matter."

Well, now the Orlando Republican has a quarter-million-dollar decision.

It turns out that Martinez kicked off his 2004 campaign for Senate with a fundraiser that wasn't just connected to Abramoff -- it was co-chaired by him.

As word about the $250,000 event leaked around Washington on Wednesday, the liberal Senate Majority Project pounced with a release titled: "HEY, MEL? SOMETHING ELSE YOU WANNA GIVE BACK?"

The answer, so far, is no.

Martinez spokeswoman Kerry Feehery said Wednesday that Martinez "never accepted" any money directly from Abramoff.

Instead, according to articles from the time, Abramoff was one of several co-chairs of the event, meaning he helped round up donations, ranging from $1,000 to $4,000. Said Feehery of Abramoff: "He did fundraising for pretty much everyone."

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/columnists/orl-maxwell2606jan26,0,4941874.column?coll=orl-news-col

[Judi Lynn]

1. If Mel truly didn't take money with ties to impropriety,he wouldn t accept

money or political support from the Cuban American National Foundation in Florida which has financed terrorism against Cuba for decades, including the bomber/mass murderer Luis Posada Carriles.