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

DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 7, 1995                   TAG: 9506070086
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Short

DOLE CLOSES TAX-EXEMPT FOUNDATION

Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole is abruptly closing his tax-exempt Better America Foundation after critics demanded the identities of its benefactors and questioned its ties to his campaign.

Campaign and foundation officials refused Tuesday to discuss the abrupt decision. But a one-paragraph statement on a letterhead carrying the names of Dole and executive director Jim Whittinghill said the foundation would go out of business at the end of the month.

``It now appears that some would use attacks on the foundation as a way to obscure the debate on the issues this organization was established to advance,'' the statement said.

``Rather than allow opponents to muddy the water, the foundation has decided to deny them this distraction. Therefore, effective June 30, 1995, the Better America Foundation will cease operations.''

It was not immediately clear what would happen to the $2.6 million the foundation had in the bank at the end of 1994 and any money it raised so far this year.

The Associated Press reported last month that the foundation had raised more than $4 million in 1994 and spent about $1.5 million on projects that would be useful to a presidential campaign - a poll, issue papers and a television advertisement that prominently featured Dole.

The foundation is not required by law to disclose information about contributors, and it has refused requests for voluntary disclosure.

by CNB