Gov. Martin O'Malley has given to charity $36,000 in campaign donations linked to businessman Jeffrey E. Thompson, a man who has been tied to a sprawling scandal involving Washington D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray's election.
The governor gave the money to the Maryland Veterans Trust Fund. The Washington Post first reported the donation on its blog.
Thompson has not been named in court documents as connected to the scandal, but Post sources have reported that authorities believe he funded a secret $653,000 “shadow campaign” when Gray was running for mayor.
It's the second time in recent months that the governor has given back campaign money from a tainted donor. In January, O'Malley donated $7,000 worth of campaign given by Richard Stewart, a businessman appointed to O'Malley redistricting panel who pleaded guilty to tax fraud. In that case, the money went to Farmers and Hunters Helping the Hungry.
