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

DATE: SATURDAY, November 27, 1993                   TAG: 9311270173
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: The Washington Post
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Medium

RON BROWN PARTNER GIVES TO DEMOCRATS, NOT TO FDIC

Corridor Broadcasting Co., which operates Washington's WFTY-TV, has given thousands of dollars in political contributions to Democrats in recent years but has failed to repay millions of dollars owed to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., government records show.

The broadcasting company is owned by Nolanda Hill, who is a partner with Commerce Secretary Ronald Brown in a separate business venture, an investing firm that operates out of Corridor's small downtown Washington office.

Corridor defaulted on a loan held by the FDIC early this year and is on the verge of losing the station through foreclosure proceedings, according to documents filed with the Federal Communications Commission.

FDIC officials said Corridor had not paid any principal or interest on the $26 million loan for several years, and taxpayers will have to cover the loss of more than $23 million.

Over the past two years, Corridor and Hill gave at least $77,825 to the Democratic Party and Democratic candidates, according to Federal Election Committee records.

Hill has become well known in Democratic Party circles because of the contributions and her connections to Brown, the former Democratic National Committee chairman, and other party fund-raisers.

Hill and Brown are partners in First International Communications Corp., the investing firm that is Brown's largest single asset, valued at between $500,000 and $1 million, according to Brown's financial disclosure form. Brown and Hill declined to answer questions about First International.

Brown also owns a corporation called Harmon International, which owns a small part of the station's broadcasting equipment and leases it to the station, according to his financial disclosure form. Harmon is Brown's middle name.

The report puts the value of Harmon International between $15,000 and $50,000, making it a small part of his personal worth of about $4 million.

Hill and her attorney, Graeme Bush, declined repeated requests for interviews. Brown would not discuss his business and political relationship with Hill.

Hill's financial problems have "nothing whatever to do with Secretary Brown," said Brown's attorney, Reid Weingarten. "Any effort to link Secretary Brown to that matter would be a grossly unfair attempt at guilt by association."

Over the last two years, Corridor has given $63,825 to the Democratic Party in so-called soft money, according to FEC records. Soft money may be used for voter education and party overhead costs, but not on behalf of specific candidates, and is not covered by federal campaign contribution limits.

Among soft-money donors to the Democratic Party in 1991 and 1992, Corridor ranks between Shell Oil, which gave $65,000, and Chevron, which gave $60,888.

by CNB