BACA DENIES HILTON DONATION INFLUENCED HOUSE ARREST DECISION

Last updated: Sunday, June 10, 2007

BACA DENIES HILTON DONATION INFLUENCED HOUSE ARREST DECISION

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca has denied reports his controversial decision to let PARIS HILTON out of jail was influenced her grandfather's $1,000 (GBP500) donation to his 2006 re-election campaign.

The Simple Life star was briefly released from Los Angeles' Century Regional Detention Center on Thursday (07Jun07) and allowed to serve the rest of her sentence - imposed for violating probation - under house arrest.

Baca's decision was overturned by a Los Angeles judge on Friday (08Jun07), who sent the heiress back to jail to serve her 45-day sentence in full.

It has since emerged that the Sheriff - who was re-elected for his third term in office last year (06) - had received a $1,000 donation from the 78-year-old business mogul Barron Hilton for his election campaign - leading to accusations of impropriety.

But Baca has dismissed the reports, insisting his decision to free the 26-year-old socialite was based solely on medical grounds.

A spokesman for the Los Angeles sheriff's department says, "The campaign raised over $1 million. Within that context, $1,000 seems small."

Source: WENN

| Sunday, June 10, 2007

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