Strickland, Brunner donate Hsu’s funds

The money will feed the hungry and help with flood relief.

COLUMBUS (AP) — Gov. Ted Strickland is among two Ohio Democrats returning thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from a top Democratic fundraiser who turned himself in Friday in California, where he had been a fugitive for more than 15 years.

Strickland and Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner accepted contributions last year from New York apparel executive Norman Hsu. Also, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown is returning money from people reportedly associated with Hsu.

In 1991, Hsu pleaded no contest to a single felony count of grand theft but failed to appear in court for sentencing, a revelation this week that prompted U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton to return $23,000 in contributions that Hsu made to her presidential and senatorial campaigns and to HillPac, her political action committee. He was jailed Friday on a $2 million bond.

Strickland is donating $10,000 that he received from Hsu to the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks, while Brunner is giving $3,000 from Hsu to the American Red Cross in Findlay with the hope it will be earmarked for flood relief, their spokesmen said Thursday.

Funds from Hsu associates

Brown is donating $750 each to Jobs with Justice in Columbus and to the Lorain Free Clinic, a spokeswoman said. Brown didn’t report any contributions directly from Hsu but from others reportedly associated with him, including William Paw of Daly City, Calif.

Paw is a San Francisco mail carrier who gave maximum donations to several of the same candidates supported by Hsu. The Wall Street Journal this week said the family of William Paw lives in a modest home that Hsu once listed as belonging to him.

Hsu’s Washington attorney, E. Lawrence Barcella Jr., has disputed suggestions that Hsu had any hand in improperly directing contributions from other donors.

Other prominent Democrats nationwide, including presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, also have said they are giving up Hsu’s donations to their campaigns.