ARIZONA

Kyrsten Sinema quietly unloads $33,800 from controversial Democratic donor

The Republic | azcentral.com

Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema has donated $33,800 to charity to erase her ties to a controversial political donor.

Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema has quietly donated $33,800 to charity to erase her ties to Ed Buck, a prominent Democratic donor who has come under scrutiny after a male escort died of a drug overdose at his California home last year.

For Sinema, it is at least the second round of campaign cash cleansing in less than a year. In April, she donated to charity $53,400, the amount she received from those with ties to Backpage.com, a website that authorities say knowingly accepting ads offering sex with underage girls.

The latest problem involves the death of Gemmel Moore, a 26-year-old homeless man whom the Los Angeles Times described as a male escort who overdosed in Buck's West Hollywood apartment in July.

In November, Sinema's campaign gave $18,800 to UMOM New Day Center, a charity to help the homeless. At the same time, her Getting Stuff Done political-action committee also gave UMOM $15,000.

"We were saddened to hear that this young man lost his life, and we wish his family peace. While the investigation continues, we've donated the money to the UMOM New Day Center in Arizona," Sinema's campaign said in a statement Tuesday.

The moves are intended to distance Sinema from Buck, a former Arizona political activist who led a push to recall Gov. Evan Mecham before he even took office in 1987. Fifteen months into his term, Mecham was impeached, removed from office and indicted on charges of concealing a $350,000 loan. He was acquitted of those charges.

Buck, 63, has given Democratic candidates and organizations supportive of the party more than $150,000 since 2004, according to Federal Election Commission records.

Sinema, who is running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Republican Jeff Flake, is among the top individual recipients of Buck's contributions in that time. Sinema has been in the House of Representatives since 2013.

Buck's political largess became a liability, however, after Moore's death.

A coroner's report noted Moore accidentally overdosed on methamphetamine. Authorities found Moore naked on a mattress in the living room with a "male pornography movie playing on the television," the Los Angeles Times reported.

In August, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department opened an investigation into the matter after Moore's mother and friends raised doubts about whether the drug was self-administered, the Times reported.

Others have also unloaded cash from Buck.

U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., returned money, as did Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, according to Fox News.

Sinema appears to have handled the Buck controversy with less difficulty than the Backpage issue. Last year she fumbled for days after news of the Backpage donations broke, first brushing off questions about the issue to reporters and then struggling to find a charity willing to accept the tainted money.