Hulshof Donates Funds To Charity To Offset DeLay Money.

Rep. Kenny Hulshof, R-Mo., has donated $14,500 to charity from his campaign committee to offset the amount of money he has gotten from Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, over the years, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. A Hulshof spokesman said the money would be donated to the hurricane relief effort led by former Presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton. "Kenny thought it was better to disassociate himself from the situation and not let it become a distraction," the spokesman said. Hulshof and DeLay's relations have been strained since Hulshof, a former prosecutor, was removed from the House Ethics Committee after it admonished DeLay for some of his political activities. Hulshof said at the time he believed his removal was prompted by his role as head of the panel's investigative subcommittee. Hulshof's spokesman said Hulshof's "action is a personal decision. He's offering no opinion on what others should do with their donations" from DeLay. But the spokesman added that Hulshof will not support DeLay's return to a leadership role even if acquitted on the charges filed against him in Texas. Rep. Jeb Bradley, R-N.H., has returned $15,000 in DeLay contributions, and Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M., has returned $10,000, according to the Associated Press.