Politicians Aren’t Returning Alleged Schemer’s Money

Barack Obama and other politicians will not be returning donations from a financier currently on trial for orchestrating a $7 billion Ponzi scheme. R. Allen Stanford, from Houston, gave Obama and others a total of $1.8 million. The person charged with the task of returning the funds to Stanford’s investors has not done so, as it seems unlikely that the five Democratic and Republican campaigns that received the money have any intention of relinquishing it. So far only $154,000 has been recovered from the $1.8 million given to election campaigns. From the president’s reelection campaign, the receiver is seeking a direct contribution of $4,600 from Stanford himself—all of which the Obama camp donated to charity immediately after the donor’s alleged fraud was discovered.