Obama Gives Stanford Money to Charity

Barack Obama has donated the $4,600 in campaign contributions he received from R. Allen Stanford to charity, the LA Times reports. Obama is one of many politicians the alleged fraudster courted; another was John McCain, who promised yesterday that he too would return or donate the funds. Stanford was a prolific donor and lobbyist, covering his bases on both sides of the aisle.

McCain has raked in $28,150 from Stanford employees since 2000, third among members of Congress behind Rep. Pete Sessions, a Republican from Texas ($41,375), and Sen. Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat ($45,900). Stanford Group also gave $800,000 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in 2002, the year Nelson was vice chairman—and the year Congress was considering anti-fraud legislation Stanford was lobbying against. (More Robert Allen Stanford stories.)