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

DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 3, 1993                   TAG: 9302030279
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

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GOV. WILDER

ALABAMA'S GOVERNOR, Republican Guy Hunt, has pleaded not guilty to 13 felony counts in an alleged inauguration-fund swindle. He and three associates were indicted in December on charges that they conspired to move $200,000 from a tax-exempt 1987 inauguration fund to Hunt's campaign fund, then converted it for personal use.

Which reminds us: Whatever happened to Gov. Wilder's cool mil?

After keeping secret for a year all details as to his inaugural funds, Wilder - you may recall - allowed in January 1991 that he, indeed, had nearly $1 million in leftover contributions raised from private sources.

He would use it, he said, "for political purposes in Virginia."

So far, $50,000 has been contributed from the fund to the state's Democratic Party. The rest? If he has plans for it, he's not saying.

Future governors will be required by law to disclose the source of their inaugural-fund contributions and how the money is spent. Meanwhile, Wilder is championing ethical and fund-raising reforms at this year's legislative session - for future state candidates and members of the General Assembly.

There is no indication whatsoever, of course, that Wilder has done anything illegal. But, at the very least, there's a public interest in knowing who gave him how much. He's yet to make a full accounting of his inaugural funds. Isn't it time he did?

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