Democratic fundraiser sent suicide letter

Last update: September 13, 2007 - 8:39 PM

The latest twist: The saga of the scandal-plagued Democratic fundraiser Norman Hsu took another strange twist Thursday after reports that he mailed a suicide note last week to New York offices of the Innocence Project, a legal group that helps prove prisoners' innocence through DNA testing. A person who saw the letter wouldn't reveal the exact phrasing but said it was not rambling.

The details: The letter -- sent overnight delivery -- was one page, typewritten and signed by Hsu. Details of it were first reported Thursday by the Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times. It's unclear why he picked the Innocence Project, though Hsu has been a benefactor of the legal group.

Hsu's story: The letter arrived as Hsu was in the midst of a bizarre legal odyssey stemming from a 1991 fraud case. Hsu has been wanted as a fugitive for missing his 1992 sentencing in that case. He turned himself in when the case came to light after reports of his Democratic fundraising for Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York. He paid $2 million in bail, then failed to show up for a hearing last week. He was arrested days later at a Colorado hospital after being found on an Amtrak train.

New bail is $5 million: On Thursday, in a Mesa County, Colo., courtroom, Hsu appeared via television from the county jail, looking haggard, his head twitching as lawyers debated his fate. Mesa County Judge Bruce Raaum set $5 million cash bail over the objections of prosecutors who wanted bail set at $50 million, citing the flight risk and also the suicide letter. Said the judge: "$2 million wasn't enough to keep Mr. Hsu from running. We'll see if $5 million will do it."

Also at the hearing: Colorado authorities told the court that Hsu might have been involved in a multimillion-dollar defrauding scheme involving investors in Orange County, Calif. The revelation comes after New York investors were notified this week that $40 million they had invested with Hsu might be in jeopardy.

What's next: Hsu plans to waive extradition to California at a hearing Wednesday.

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