Obama returns cash to casino fugitive's family
Source: Agencies |
February 8, 2012, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
UNITED States President Barack Obama's re-election campaign is returning more than US$200,000 in donations from the family of a fugitive casino magnate linked to violence and corruption in Mexico who has been seeking a pardon, Obama's campaign confirmed yesterday.
"More than 1.3 million Americans have donated to the campaign and we constantly review those contributions for any issues," Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt said in an email after the New York Times report on Monday.
"On the basis of questions raised, we will return the contributions from these individuals and any other donors they brought to the campaign," LaBolt said.
Chicago-based brothers Carlos and Alberto Rojas Cardona began raising money for the Obama campaign and the Democratic National Committee last fall, the New York Times reported.
Their brother, Juan Jose Rojas Cardona - also known as Pepe Cardona, jumped bail in Iowa in 1994 - fleeing drug and fraud charges in the United States, the Times said.
The money Alberto Cardona raised put him in the upper tiers of fund-raisers, the newspaper reported.
A State Department cable in 2009 said Pepe Cardona was suspected of orchestrating the assassination of a rival and making illegal campaign donations to Mexican officials, said the article.
Last year, Carlos Cardona arranged for the former chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party to seek a pardon from the governor for Pepe Cardona, the Times reported, citing Iowa prosecutors. The report said no pardon was forthcoming.
"More than 1.3 million Americans have donated to the campaign and we constantly review those contributions for any issues," Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt said in an email after the New York Times report on Monday.
"On the basis of questions raised, we will return the contributions from these individuals and any other donors they brought to the campaign," LaBolt said.
Chicago-based brothers Carlos and Alberto Rojas Cardona began raising money for the Obama campaign and the Democratic National Committee last fall, the New York Times reported.
Their brother, Juan Jose Rojas Cardona - also known as Pepe Cardona, jumped bail in Iowa in 1994 - fleeing drug and fraud charges in the United States, the Times said.
The money Alberto Cardona raised put him in the upper tiers of fund-raisers, the newspaper reported.
A State Department cable in 2009 said Pepe Cardona was suspected of orchestrating the assassination of a rival and making illegal campaign donations to Mexican officials, said the article.
Last year, Carlos Cardona arranged for the former chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party to seek a pardon from the governor for Pepe Cardona, the Times reported, citing Iowa prosecutors. The report said no pardon was forthcoming.
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