Trustee buys Senator Harry Reid’s letter for $2,100,100

Senator Harry Reid’s highly publicized letter calling for Clear Channel CEO, Mark Mays, to condemn a comment made by radio host Rush Limbaugh has sold through eBay Giving Works auction for $2,100,100. Limbaugh has matched this amount in full, and now the whole $4,200,200 will go to the Marine Corps – Law Enforcement Foundation, a charity that provides financial assistance to the children of fallen Marines and federal law enforcement officers.

The purchaser of the infamous letter was Betty Casey, a trustee of The Eugene B. Casey Foundation. I assume, but cannot confirm, that she purchased the letter in her personal capacity and not as a trust investment.

In her capacity as trustee, Casey has given donations to hospitals, hospices, colleges and private schools. Among the beneficiaries of her gifts were The Eugene B. Casey Diabetes Education Center, The Eugene B. Casey Swim Center, The Eugene B. Casey Academic Center, and The Casey Home Hospice. Casey has also made significant donations to the Washington Opera.

See Radio Press Release, SeattlePI.com, distributed by PRNewswire.com.

See also Reid’s letter condemning Limbaugh fetches $50K on eBay, politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com, Oct. 16, 2007 (the bid price increased after this article was written).

Special thanks to Wade Glover (J.D. Candidate, Texas Tech University School of Law) for bringing this news to my attention.