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

DATE: FRIDAY, December 10, 1993                   TAG: 9312100245
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-7   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: The Washington Post
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

POLITICIAN NORTH JOINS AUTHOR NORTH IN DEAL

Oliver North, the front-runner for the Republican nomination for U.S. senator, has come up with an unusual way to raise money for his campaign: Give $40, and you get an autographed copy of his new book.

North's campaign recently mailed a letter to potential supporters that blends his two current vocations: politics and writing. In exchange for a "minimum contribution" of $40, North wrote, "I've made a special arrangement with my publisher to send you a personally autographed copy of `One More Mission.' "

The solicitation comes only weeks after publication of the book, an account of North's service as a Marine officer in Vietnam and of a recent return trip to that country. Spokesman Mark Merritt said the mailing could sell 5,000 copies - which would bring in $100,000.

But Merritt and a spokesman for the book's publisher, Harper/Collins, say North will not profit personally from the arrangement. He bought the books at a discount and will not receive author's royalties, they said.

"He isn't getting a cent from this either directly or indirectly," Merritt said. "He will not get any money personally from the campaign in any way. We've set it up to ensure that is the case."

Politicians familiar with campaign fund raising say the arrangement is unusual but appears legal. The Federal Election Commission previously has allowed campaigns to profit from the sale of books or art. But North's dual role as author and candidate is unusual.

The campaign letter offering copies of North's book was mailed late last month to more than 25,000 people, Merritt said. Since he became famous for his role in the Iran-Contra scandal several years ago, North has built a direct-mail fund-raising apparatus that has collected more than $20 million for various organizations.

Keywords:
POLITICS

Memo: shorter version ran in the Metro edition.

by CNB