Nation in brief: Fundraiser vows to resolve warrant
Democratic donor Norman Hsu said Wednesday he will “refrain from all fundraising activities” until he resolves an outstanding warrant for his arrest stemming from a 1991 criminal case in San Mateo County, Calif.
Hsu, a major fundraiser in the past three years for Sen. Hillary Clinton and other Democratic candidates, issued the statement through his attorney after the Los Angeles Times reported that he had been a fugitive for 15 years.
Prosecutors in California said Hsu disappeared in 1992 after pleading no contest and agreeing to serve up to three years in prison for defrauding investors in what prosecutors called a Ponzi scheme.
Meanwhile, Clinton’s campaign said Wednesday that it will donate to charity $23,000 in direct donations from Hsu, a New York apparel executive. And other recipients of his donations distanced themselves from the businessman.
California Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, California Reps. Michael Honda and Doris Matsui, Rep. Joe Sestak, of Pennsylvania, and Al Franken, a Senate candidate in Minnesota, said they would divest their campaigns of Hsu’s donations.
WASHINGTON
NASA: No proof astronauts drank
After finding no evidence of astronauts drinking before launching into space, NASA said Wednesday it is considering limited alcohol testing of its employees, including astronauts.
An internal investigation recommended alcohol testing while at the same time clearing astronauts of much-publicized drinking allegations. In response, NASA Administrator Michael Griffin said he would come up with a policy for testing after a mishap or when there are suspicions of substance abuse.
The review released Wednesday could not verify two drinking allegations described by an independent panel last month, and Griffin said they just didn’t happen. The report did acknowledge the availability of alcohol in crew quarters, noting that nonflying astronauts made booze-buying runs for their quarantined colleagues.
NEW YORK
Helmsley leaves millions to dog
Billionaire Leona Helmsley’s pampered pooch will go on living in the lap of luxury.
The Queen of Mean cut two of her grandchildren out of her $4 billion fortune, but left her largest bequest to Trouble, her tiny white Maltese. A source said the $12 million trust was created to care for the dog, who once starred in ads for the Helmsley Hotels.
Helmsley even stipulated that the dog be buried beside her and her husband, Harry, in a five-star mausoleum that will be maintained with a $3 million perpetual-care trust.
The luxury-hotel queen, who died last week at age 87, set aside billions for charity and loved ones in a will made public Tuesday in Manhattan Surrogate’s Court.