The Associated Press is reporting that Democratic fundraiser Norman Hsu has been sentenced to 3 years in prison for his conviction on fraud charges.The California case is 16 years old, but Hsu has been a fugitive until last year when he turned himself in, then fled authorities again.
Among Hsu's many political friends are Hillary Clinton and Pennsylvania Gov. Edward G. Rendell, both of whom accepted tens of thousands of dollars from Hsu.
Rendell has called Hsu a "friend," a man "of good character" and "one of the best 10 people I've met."
Rendell was one of the last politicians to return tainted Hsu money. He waited until
Hsu jumped bail to give nearly $38,000 received from Hsu to charity.
Hsu's lawyers had asked Judge Stephen Hall to dismiss his 1992 no-contest plea, arguing that Hsu's right to a speedy trial was violated because authorities were not actively pursuing him during his years as a fugitive, according to the wire service.
Hsu's troubles began dogging Hillary Clinton and other big-name Democrats last summer when news reports revealed he was a fugitive who fled the state before he was sentenced for the 1992 fraud conviction, the AP reported.
He turned himself in on Aug. 31 — then fled again.
He was recaptured in September in Colorado after he tried to kill himself by overdosing on drugs aboard an eastbound Amtrak train,the AP reported. Hsu has since been held without bail in a Redwood City jail, according to the AP.
The 3-year jail sentence is not the end to Hsu's legal problems. Hsu faces federal fraud charges in New York.
There's no indication where Hsu will serve his sentence or how often Rendell will visit his "friend" in jail.
(Cartoon by Randy Bish of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
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