Kerry will give Democrats campaign cash, advisers say
The Associated Press
November 19th, 2004

WASHINGTON -- Under friendly fire, Sen. John Kerry likely will donate a substantial portion of his excess presidential campaign cash to help elect Democratic candidates in 2005 and 2006, advisers said Thursday.

Party leaders, including some of Kerry’s top aides, said this week they were surprised and angry to learn he had more than $15 million in accounts from the primaries. They demanded to know why the money wasn’t spent to help Kerry defeat President Bush or to aid congressional candidates.

There were no easy answers to those questions, officials close to Kerry acknowledged Thursday, but they sought to assure Democrats in a series of telephone calls that the four-term Massachusetts senator was sharing his political wealth.

They argued that he donated $40.5 million to Democratic causes in 2004, including $3 million each to the party’s House and Senate campaign committees. More than $32 million went to the Democratic National Committee, including $9 million targeted to state parties.

DNC spokesman Jano Cabrera said that was the largest contribution the DNC has ever received, and the first from a presidential primary campaign.

"With this donation, the campaign more than fulfilled its commitment to our general election plan," he said.

Several members of Kerry’s campaign staff said the cash should have been spent before the Democratic convention in late July to build political organizations in Ohio and Florida -- or to court Hispanic and black voters in key states.