WASHINGTON: With Indian-American hotel magnate, the high-profile Sant Singh Chatwal, pleading guilty to federal campaign finance fraud, several prominent Democratic leaders are rushing to return or donate to charity cash collected by their major fund-raiser.

New York mayor Bill de Blasio's campaign said Friday it will return more than $15,000 in cash raised by Chatwal, who served on the host committee of at least one of de Blasio's fund-raisers and bundling thousands of dollars on his behalf, New York Observer reported citing records.

"Yes, we are returning all funds given or raised by Mr. Chatwal," Jonathan Rosen, who worked for Mr. de Blasio's campaign, told the Observer via email.

Chatwal has raised funds for several prominent Democratic leaders including Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign and Senate majority leader Harry Reid,

Chatwal, 70, pleaded guilty Thursday in Brooklyn federal court to using straw donors to make more than $180,000 in illegal campaign contributions to three unnamed candidates. Court papers don't identify the recipients of Chatwal's illegal largesse by name, but indicate it dated back at least to 2007.

But influential Washington news site Politico cited a source familiar with the investigation as saying the unlawful donations were delivered to Clinton's 2008 campaign, as well as to House member Kendrick Meek's 2010 Senate campaign in Florida and to a campaign by former Senator Chris Dodd, who served as head of the Senate India Caucus.

A Justice Department press release said: "There is no allegation that the candidates participated in, or were aware of Chatwal's scheme."
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