Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, February 17, 1991                   TAG: 9102170234
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: D-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Medium

DEMOCRATS QUERY GOLDMAN/ ANONYMOUS GROUP ASKS CHAIRMAN FOR ACCOUNT OF PARTY

"We need to have a chairman who uses the opportunity for all of us, not just those who have national ambitions," the workers said in a letter given to The Richmond News Leader by a source.

The group, signing itself "The Ad Hoc Committee of Concerned Local Democratic Party Workers," asked Goldman for an accounting of how he has spent the party's money.

Goldman responded Saturday, "I'm grateful for the overwhelming support I have among Democratic officials, and this anonymous attempt to disunite the party in this election year should not be dignified with a comment."

The letter writers said they declined to list their names until they are assured that Goldman and other party leaders "won't try to get even by hurting our local party committees or communities."

The letter was addressed to "Democratic chairs and committee members" and was dated Tuesday.

The writers noted that all Democratic members of the House of Delegates and the Senate are up for election, and many local officials and constitutional officers also are "at risk."

"Our candidates will need all the guidance, assistance and support they can get," the letter said.

It said calls to local committee chairmen are not being returned and party-building efforts are being given "lip service."

Then it asked a series of questions:

"Has our chairman used the state party's bookkeeper to handle the books for the Committee for Fiscal Responsibility in 1992?" The political committee was set up by Goldman and other Wilder associates to promote a message of fiscal responsibility in the national Democratic Party. The committee is viewed as a potential vehicle for Wilder to seek the party's nomination to run for president next year.

"Is he using state party funds for national campaign phone calls and out-of-state trips?"

"Is our state chairman assuming that the Democratic caucus [in the General Assembly] will take care of all the fund-raising and campaign strategy needs for House and Senate races?" it continues. "We need to know where our money is going before campaigns start this fall."

The letter called on Goldman to provide the party's steering committee and central committee with copies of phone records for his party office and his personal state party credit cards.

It called on him to provide a listing of the expenses he has charged to the party for travel, lodging, gifts, press clips and mailing costs. It also called on him to provide a listing of any other political organization in which he holds a title and from which he is receiving either a salary or reimbursement for expenses.