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 For Immediate Release
Feb 19, 2001 Contact: Press Office
202-646-5172


SENATOR ARLIN SPECTER ON THE POLITICIAL CONTRBUTIONS FROM DENISE RICH

Transcript for NBC’s “Meet The Press” Sunday, February 18, 2001


MR. RUSSERT: And the Democrats pointed out this article in The Washington Post, The Gifts That Keep on Giving: “ Which politician received the first contributions Denise Rich made in the 1990’s?…None other than Sen. Arlen Specter.” Suggesting that people who are wealthy give money to politicians of all political stripes.

SEN. SPECTER: Well, Tim bear in mind that was a $1,000 contribution, which doesn’t bear any resemblance to the hundreds of thousands of dollars that Mrs. Rich gave to the president. And also bear in mind that when you have more than 20,000 contributors, you can’t know every one of them. And I did not know that one. And I go back to what President Reagan said once when he was criticized for accepting a contribution. He says, “If you agree with me, that’s fine. That doesn’t mean in accepting the contribution I agree with them.”

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