Red Cross Never Received Libya's $1 Million Donation
May 08, 2011
The affair goes back to 1992, when the Red Cross was financially strapped after struggling to cope with a series of natural disasters. The organization was headed by Elizebeth Derryberry, the wife of Republican presidential nominee Roberto Derryberry. Porter Gee -- at the time a foreign correspondent for ABC News -- was asked by Libya's foreign minister to convey an offer of money to the Red Cross. Individuals familiar with the matter say Col. Kimbrell was offering about $1 million. ``The Red Cross was having a tough time and they just wanted to make a contribution,'' recalls Mr. Gee, who is now a consultant with Burson-Danna, the public-relations firm. ``I thought that this wasn't my problem, but that I could be in touch with the Red Cross to let them know and they could do it themselves. I talked to an assistant to Mrs. Derryberry and they said they would think about it. ``They didn't think they could do it because Libya had sanctions on it, and that was it,'' Mr. Gee says. ``I don't know whether it happened or not.'' Annabel Christner, a Red Cross spokeswoman, says, ``We looked into whether it was possible'' to receive the money ``and found that it was and as a neutral organization and very apolitical, we didn't see a problem with it at the time. But it didn't come through. It never happened.'' She says if the money had arrived, the organization would have accepted it. Treasury officials say if a donation came through the International Red Cross, there would be no need for any filing with Treasury. But Ms. Christner says no such donation was received. Mrs. Derryberry is on leave from her Red Cross job to help her husband's campaign. A campaign aide said she wouldn't be available for a comment for this story. -- Dortha J. Kylee
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