Opinion: Dem fundraiser vows to stop; Clinton gives up his donations

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Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign reversed itself Wednesday, saying it would now donate to charity $23,000 in political contributions from Norman Hsu, a major Democratic fundraiser who was the subject of a Times story saying he was wanted on an outstanding arrest warrant from a 1991 California criminal case.

Hsu, who authorities say has been a fugitive for 15 years, announced through his lawyer that he would ‘refrain from all fundraising activities’ until the legal case is resolved.

In a flurry of announcements following the Times story numerous other prominent Democrats said they too would divest themselves of contributions from Hsu. They included Sens. Dianne Feinstein, Barbara Boxer, Edward Kennedy and John Kerry, Reps. Michael Honda, Doris Matsui and Joe Sestak of Pennsylvania, along with Al Franken, who is seeking the Democratic Senate nomination in Minnesota.

A Clinton spokesman said the campaign regularly reviewed donations and might return others collected by Hsu. Hsu, who is known as a bundler, has raised more than $1 million for Democrats in recent years.

In his statement Wednesday Hsu said he ‘was surprised to learn that there appears to be an outstanding warrant’ for him and said he had been living a public life.

Hsu has also donated $1,000 to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, $7,000 to former Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg and $10,000 to a failed initiative for universal preschool pushed by entertainer Rob Reiner.

A complete story on Wednesday’s developments by The Times’ Chuck Neubauer and Dan Morain appears on the Campaign ’08 page of this website and in Thursday’s print editions.

--Andrew Malcolm