Tornado Alley (PROG)

[F6]

GOP shuns the man, not the money

BY MICHAEL McAULIFF and CORKY SIEMASZKO
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS
Originally published on October 7, 2006

Mark Foley may be an embarrassment to the Republicans, but they still like his money.

The National Republican Congressional Committee intends to spend the $100,000 the former Florida legislator gave this summer - before his sordid e-mail exchanges with male teenage congressional pages turned him into a grand old pariah.

"We're going to do with it what we do with other donations - use it to help elect Republicans," said NRCC spokesman Carl Forti.

Asked whether the committee would consider returning the money, Forti replied, "Nope."

"It's a lot of money," said Larry Sabato, who heads the University of Virginia's Center for Politics. "I'm sure the NRCC has considered the pluses and minuses and decided that 30-plus days before the [Nov. 7] election, they'd rather take a few hits and keep the money."

Foley's funds, Sabato said, "could save a hotly contested seat if spent wisely."

The NRCC chairman is Rep. Tom Reynolds, from upstate New York, whose top aide quit after being accused of trying to protect Foley. Reynolds gave the lecherous legislator a $5,000 contribution, records show.

While the NRCC is hanging onto Foley's funds, GOP politicians in tough reelection campaigns, such as Virginia Sen. George Allen, want nothing to do with Foley - or his money. Allen is giving the $2,000 in campaign contributions he got from Foley to a charity that protects kids from online predators.

Federal election records reveal Foley was a Republican rainmaker. Since 1996, Foley has contributed over $500,000 to the NRCC - and a big chunk of that came after GOP party leaders warned him to behave around the pages.

Foley also gave thousands to the campaigns of Florida Republicans like controversial Rep. Katherine Harris and GOP politicians ranging from Staten Island Rep. Vito Fossella and former Bergen County, N.J., Rep. Marge Roukema to Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman.

Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio), who pleaded guilty to corruption charges resulting from the Abramoff scandal, got $4,000 from Foley.

Most of Foley's contributions came from the health care, finance and insurance industries, Federal Election Commission records show. But Foley was nicknamed "Hollywood" because he courted a business many Republicans rail against.

Sony Pictures coughed up $3,000, another $2,500 came from the Universal Music Group, and the Walt Disney Productions Employees PAC gave $2,000. Jack Valenti, former head of the Motion Picture Association of America, whose job Foley reportedly coveted, gave $2,500.

Foley had other friends with deep pockets in his own party. He also got $4,999 from the PAC of Missouri Rep. Roy Blunt, the No. 3 House Republican.

"That PAC contributed to a number of Congressmen Blunt's colleagues," said Blunt spokeswoman Burson Snyder. "Foley's seat is traditionally a tough seat to hold onto and you will see Blunt's PAC making contributions to the Republican running in Foley's place."

© 2006 Daily News, L.P. (emphasis added) (. . .)

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/459380p-386465c.html