Monday 10 August 2009

Stanford Political Contributions Trickle Back In

Sir Allen Stanford during his heyday, splashed out at least $5 million on lobbying expenditures and campaign contributions to several U.S. lawmakers. But so far, only $87,800 of that contribution has been returned.

Stanford gave $95,000 alone to the 527 groups of then-Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, then-House Democratic Caucus Chairman Martin Frost, and then-Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott ($5,000). Stanford also gave an additional $100,000 to the Bush Inaugural Committee - as the new administration prepared its own money laundering strategy. He also donated thousands to the Republican National Committee.

DeLay was among the largest recipients of Stanford's largesse. DeLay's committees paid for flights on Stanford's jets at least 16 times since 2003, including on Oct. 20, the day the former House majority leader was booked in a Houston courthouse on money-laundering charges,` according to Bloomberg News.

But so far a listing of funds returned as disclosed by receiver Ralph Janvey, shows that Senator Chris Dodd was among the biggest returnees of funds.

He returned over $27,000 received by `Friends For Chris Dodd,` and `Chris Dodd For President.`

The second largest returnee was ` Shelby for US Senate,` at $14,000 and Friends of Jay Rockefeller and Friends of John Boehner, at $5,000 each.

Stanford, accused by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of a multi-billion fraud, continued to give money to scores of members of Congress, as well as the Obama presidential campaign. He is now awaiting trial in a Texas jail as the receiver tries to obtain all monies spent in order to somehow pay back investors allegedly scammed.

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