Why is Clinton giving $860,000 in questioned campaign contributions back to the contributors and not to charity?

Oops. $850,000.

Presumably, not all of the contributors recruited or tapped by Hsu are bad: even if the FBI investigation indicates that Mr. Hsu paid some of the donations out of his own pocket, it’s unlikely that those contributors who used their own money knew what Hsu was up to.

The Clinton campaign has said they would still accept donations from the contributors to whom they’re returning these donations—so presumably they’re hoping to get them back. But they’re asking those contributors who wish to donate their money again to affirm that the money is their own.

As for the money Hsu contributed directly, the Clinton campaign is donating that money to charity.

maybe that would still ne considered acceptance, giving it back to the bad guys? Might ease any legal wrong doing.

If you ask for money for a certain cause (your campaign), it seems improper to use it for some other purpose (e.g. the whales, saving them). Maybe it isn’t bad to do that if the donor was breaking the rules, but it’s a bad habit to get into. I would say that absent some truly extraordinary circumstances, donations not used for their intended purpose should be returned.

If the donation was for charity, then I don’t see a problem with passing the money onto another charity consistent with the goals of the first. But if they do conclude the donations were unlawful, shouldn’t they do something like RICO confiscation, perhaps use the money to fund legal access for the indigent?