Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, July 28, 1995 TAG: 9507280104
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: |By DWAYNE YANCEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
When the heirs to the late Roanoke philanthropist Marion Via donated $100,000 to Gov. George Allen's political action committee this spring, they made an unusual request - they wanted the money to be spent on the Republican candidates challenging Dels. Richard Cranwell and Clifton "Chip" Woodrum.
Last month, Allen's PAC returned the money, saying state election rules prohibit forwarding campaign contributions from one group to another.
Now Republicans confirm that the Via brothers - Edward and Peter - have directly contributed to the two campaigns they wanted to help in the first place, sending $50,000 to Cranwell challenger Trixie Averill and another $50,000 to Woodrum opponent Newell Falkinburg.
The executive director of Allen's political action committee calls it all a simple "misunderstanding" and says the hefty contributions will give instant credibility to the Republicans challenging two of the state's most visible Democratic legislators.
Woodrum calls it an attempt by "one of the wealthiest families in Virginia" to "launder" money and "buy the election."
The Via brothers inherited the fortune left by their mother, who was one of the Roanoke Valley's best-known - but also one of its most publicity-shy - contributors to civic causes.
Although the Via brothers had not been known for significant political contributions in the past, this spring they were approached by the Campaign for Honest Change, a political action committee set up by Allen to raise money for Republican candidates for the General Assembly.
Each brother donated $50,000 in conjunction with a fund-raising dinner Allen's group held in Richmond in May.
A few days later, the PAC's executive director, Chris Nolen, said he spoke with Roanoke lawyer John Rocovich, who handles the Vias' financial affairs. "We learned after the contributions were received," Nolen said, "that the Vias had wanted the money to be earmarked exclusively for two local candidates" - Averill and Falkinburg.
"We informed him we couldn't do that," Nolen said, because the state Board of Elections forbids the practice. "That was basically it. It was a misunderstanding. There were no hard feelings on either side."
Last week, the Via brothers made their contributions directly, with each brother sending a $25,000 check to both the Averill and Falkinburg campaigns.
Neither the Vias nor Rocovich could be reached for comment Thursday.
The Republicans who are the beneficiaries of the Vias' largesse tried to deflect attention from the unusual size, and source, of the contributions.
Averill called the brothers "good, well-meaning citizens" who "like to live quietly and not have any truck with the outside world." She said she was comfortable receiving a contribution that large because the brothers don't have any "special interests."
A Falkinburg spokesman said his candidate didn't want to talk about any of his contributions.
Cranwell was out of town Thursday, but Woodrum reacted sharply to the Vias' contributions. "It's altogether unfortunate that they tried to launder the money, and I think the governor is obviously correct in giving it back," he said.
Woodrum said he didn't think the hefty funding would make much of a difference. "I do not want to get into a wallet-weighing contest with one of the richest families in Virginia," he said, "but Oliver North spent $20 million last year, and he didn't win."
Although Falkinburg was silent, Woodrum's comments about the Vias attempting to "launder" money drew a sharp retort from Averill.
"That is bull," she said. "How can that possibly be? This does not in any way represent special interests. They [the Vias] do not go to Richmond and they do not lobby. They are simply choosing candidates who represent their views."
She said it was hypocritical for Woodrum to complain about the size of an individual's contribution to Republicans when the Democrats, as the majority party in the General Assembly, rake in amounts totaling that much from various political action committees with business before the legislature.
"If Cranwell or Woodrum thought for a minute they had a chance to get money from [the Vias], they'd tap dance naked in the streets," she said.
Keywords:
POLITICS
by CNB