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CD-ROM Aktief 1995 #3
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1994-02-22
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SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS
Copyright 1985, San Jose Mercury News
DATE: Wednesday, June 26, 1985
PAGE: 2E EDITION: Morning Final
SECTION: California News LENGTH: 12 in. Medium
ILLUSTRATION: Photo
SOURCE: By DAVID WILLMAN, Mercury News Sacramento Bureau
DATELINE: Sacramento
*ROBERTI*WON'T RETURN SUSPECT CONTRIBUTION
Senate President Pro Tem David*Roberti*said Tuesday he does not intend to
return the campaign contribution he received from an associate of embattled
Orange County businessman Wallace Patrick Moriarty.
''I just cannot begin to say how bad it would be for any officeholder to
respond to speculation in the press every time he wants to do
something,''*Roberti*said, referring to reports that the $2,500 contribution
he received was actually donated illegally by Moriarty.
Moriarty, who built a fortune through his ownership of Red Devil brand
fireworks, has pleaded guilty to federal charges that he donated campaign
money illegally to state government politicians, whom prosecutors have not
yet formally identified. Moriarty is awaiting sentencing on those and
other*corruption*charges and agreed in March to cooperate in an investigation
of his ties with local and state officials throughout California.
*Roberti*has not been identified as a suspect in the probe nor has he been
accused of any wrongdoing. The senator did acknowledge in an interview that
he is among the many California officials who have received letters from
James Stang, Moriarty's bankruptcy attorney, requesting return of the
campaign money.
Similar letters have been sent to Gov. George Deukmejian, Lt. Gov. Leo
McCarthy and Assembly Speaker Willie Brown. McCarthy has returned his $10,000
contribution; neither Brown nor Deukmejian has returned their respective
total contributions of $23,000 and $17,000.
*Roberti*said he does not intend to return the money because he has no
verification that the contribution did not emanate from Richard Raymond
Keith, the Moriarty associate in whose name the donation was made in December
1981.
''I'm waiting for official notification,'' that Moriarty was the actual
donor,*Roberti*said.
Although*Roberti*maintained he could not determine the truth of assertions
that Moriarty illegally laundered campaign money through others, he said he
has made no attempt to ask Keith about the $2,500 contribution.
Noting that Keith has pleaded guilty to tax-evasion charges and remains a
part of the same federal investigation with which Moriarty is now
cooperating,*Roberti*said he does not trust Keith's word.
''How do I know what he is saying at this juncture is true, not true,
whether he's trying to embellish, to not embellish?,''*Roberti*said. ''I
mean, once somebody is this far down the judicial process, it's very hard to
bank on any statement that he makes.''
CAPTION: David*Roberti*
KEYWORDS: POLITICS FRAUD
END OF DOCUMENT.