Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, November 4, 1995 TAG: 9511050003
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ROBERT LITTLE AND DWAYNE YANCEY STAFF WRITERS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
That brings the total amount Via and his brother, Peter, have donated to Republican causes this fall to at least $210,000.
Edward Via's contribution to Allen's Campaign for Honest Change, which has been buying ads and forwarding contributions to GOP candidates around the state, showed up on the latest round of campaign finance reports filed this week.
Meanwhile, the Via brothers' contributions have become the subject of a Democratic Party mailing going into House Majority Leader Richard Cranwell's Roanoke Valley district. The mailing calls attention to the money the Vias first tried to funnel to GOP challenger Trixie Averill through Allen's political action committee.
"At first it didn't look right. ... Now it doesn't smell right, either," the mailing says. "On November 7th, tell them Southwest Virginia and the 14th Legislative District isn't for sale."
A PAC like Allen's can give money to individual candidates, but it is illegal for someone to contribute to a PAC and ask that the money be funneled to a specific candidate, because that would effectively disguise the true source of the money.
Allen's PAC, citing state law, returned the Vias' donation, and the brothers later gave the money directly to Averill's campaign - and an equal amount to Newell Falkinburg, the Republican challenging Del. Clifton "Chip" Woodrum, D-Roanoke.
Via's contribution is just one of several large donations flowing into the campaign coffers of both parties as the push to win control of the General Assembly reaches its finale.
The Republicans have the most: According to reports filed this week with the state Board of Elections, Republican political action committees had almost $600,000 in cash available Oct. 25 for commercials, mail advertisements and other efforts to influence the Nov. 7 election. Democratic PACs had about $350,000 on hand.
That's partly because Republicans have been getting the biggest contributions.
The Republican National State Elections Committee gave Allen's committee $100,000. Meanwhile, Richmond investor Jerry Parker Jr. gave $100,000 to the Virginia Republican Party and William Goodwin Jr., a Richmond businessman, and members of his family gave a combined $50,000.
House Speaker Newt Gingrich's GOPAC '95 committee also has kicked in $75,000 - giving $50,000 to the state Republican Caucus last month, and spreading $25,000 among individual GOP candidates, including $1,000 to Averill.
The Virginia Democratic Party, meanwhile, collected almost $100,000 from the Democratic National Committee in October. The state Democratic Party also received $75,000 from Tamoil Inc., a New York oil company. State party spokeswoman Gail Nardi said the company is a regular donor to the Democratic National Committee, and was asked to contribute this year in Virginia.
The two camps use varied approaches to spreading their campaign funds among the 140 seats on the ballot in Tuesday's election. In close races, the parties have offered lump-sum contributions of cash, often $10,000 or more. Both parties also have financed targeted mail advertisements for specific candidates or their whole party.
by CNB