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

DATE: WEDNESDAY, September 21, 1994                   TAG: 9409230061
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-4   EDITION: METRO  
SOURCE: DAVID M. POOLE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ARLINGTON                                 LENGTH: Medium

HURRICANE PLEA A PLOY FOR NORTH, FOES ALLEGE

North's fund-raising machine roared to life when Hurricane Andrew sliced through South Florida and slammed into Lousiana two years ago.

North fired off an urgent direct-mail plea on behalf of hurricane victims to tens of thousands of supporters who had joined a group known as the Freedom Alliance. In the Sept. 25, 1992, letter, North asked for tax-free donations to help lift the spirits of families who would be living in tents and temporary shelters during the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons.

It is unclear how much money the appeal raised, but available tax records show that by the end of 1992, the Freedom Alliance had disbersed only $200 in specific grants to hurricane relief.

The stop-North outfit - Clean Up Congress - held a press conference Tuesday to claim the Freedom Alliance may have diverted the hurricane money to efforts to advance North's political career.

"It looks mighty fishy," said Woody Holton, the chairman of Clean Up Congress and son of former Republican Gov. Linwood Holton.

Woody Holton acknowledged that he has no proof, but challenged the Freedom Alliance to release its Form 990 tax statement for 1993, which was due two months ago.

The Freedom Alliance did not mention the challenge in a prepared statement, but said it spent nearly $50,000 on the hurricane relief effort, almost double the $26,000 in contributions it said was generated by North's appeal for help.

Freedom Alliance President Edward J. Bronars could not be reached for comment.

North established Freedom Alliance in 1990 with the stated purpose of encouraging a return to traditional values, conducting research on national security issues and registering voters in a non-partisan manner.

Through the former Iran-Contra figure's appeals by mail, the Freedom Alliance raised $9.2 million through the end of 1992. North left the group a year ago this month to concentrate on his bid for the Senate seat now held by Democratic incumbent Charles Robb.

Clean Up Congress contends the unstated purpose of Freedom Alliance was to promote North's political career by developing a donor list, which is now the backbone of a Senate campaign that is on target to break the all-time spending mark of $17.8 million.

Holton suggested Tuesday that the Freedom Alliance was delaying the release of its tax forms until after the Nov. 8 election because the documents might show little was spent on hurricane relief.

Holton said he was not impressed with the Freedom Alliance's claim that it spent more on the hurricane operation that than it took in.

"How much of that was spent on cans of beans and how much of it was spent on mailings? And why didn't they spend the money in November and December when the crisis was the worst?

"If you don't have anything to hide, let's see your [Form] 990," he said.

Holton said his group has not made an endorsement in the Senate race, but would wait until the final 10 days before the election and back whoever has the best chance of beating North. Holton said the group's choice is more likely to be Robb than independent Marshall Coleman.

Keywords:
POLITICS