Governor returns illegal contributions

By By Steve Gillespie / staff writer
June 13, 2003
Gov. Ronnie Musgrove said Thursday that his office has returned a portion of three corporate campaign contributions that exceeded the $1,000 limit established by Mississippi's campaign finance law.
The announcement came one day after Jim Herring, chairman of the Mississippi Republican Party, said the governor's May 9 and June 10 campaign reports showed he had accepted $6,500 in contributions that exceeded the $1,000 limit.
Herring said Thursday that the illegal contributions were the first his office has seen in this year's campaign.
Musgrove's May 9 report showed his campaign accepted a contribution of $5,000 from Cortez Byrd Chips Inc. The contribution was $4,000 over the statutory limit.
The June 10 report showed contributions of $2,500 from JAV Inc., $1,500 over the limit; and $2,000 from Southern Industrial Contractors Inc., $1,000 over the limit.