Right wing pundits are being strangely quite regarding the recent sentencing of child pornographer Richard Anthony Delgaudio to a mere two-year probation sentence.
That's probably because Delgaudio was better known, until he pleaded guilty to felony child pornography charges last week, as a top Republican fundraiser for conservative causes and personalities.
Delgaudio was charged with taking sexually explicit photographs of a 16-year-old girl. He paid the girl by the hour for photo shoots in a Baltimore hotel. Some of the photos depict the underage high-school dropout having sex with Delgaudio.
Delgaudio's attorneys issued a statement saying that their client "acknowledges the acute moral shortcomings of his conduct and he will continue intense self-examination, and professional and spiritual counseling."
Delgaudio plans to donate $5,000 to help "young mothers in great need."
There was some controversy on whether or not police followed proper procedures to obtain evidence, including three photo albums that were excluded from consideration as evidence.
While the demagogues of talk radio haven't been heard from on the matter, at least one politician has attempted to distance himself from the right-wing activist, who has chaired a number of right-wing organizations including the Legal Affair Council, Inc., which raised $2.6 million in revenue in 2001.
"I would not want to associate myself with someone who engages in such behavior," said California Assemblyman Ray Haynes (R), whom Delgaudio had recruited to be the honorary chairman of the Western Conservative Conference scheduled for California this summer. Promotional material promised a speech by legendary anti-porn crusader Edwin Meese III among others conservative activists.
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