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

DATE: SATURDAY, February 23, 1991                   TAG: 9102230343
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A-4   EDITION: STATE 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Short

VA. GOP REPORTS LOSS OF $187,000

The Richmond News Leader said internal GOP documents showed that as of Jan. 31, the party had assets of $84,707 and liabilities of $272,312.

Party executive director Joe Elton did not dispute the figures, but decried the release of internal documents.

"Whoever leaked that is not a productive player in the Republican Party," Elton said.

Elton said the party recently had a highly successful direct mail fund-raising campaign.

Elton also said the party is paying its short-term bills on time. "Our vendors are happy, let's put it that way," he said.

In November 1989, the party acknowledged that it owed more than $200,000 in taxes, penalties and interest to the Internal Revenue Service.

Party officials, who voluntarily disclosed the tax problems, blamed a bookkeeper who had failed to pay quarterly withholding taxes for almost two years.

To pay off that debt, the GOP borrowed $125,000.

- Associated Press