Giuliani sorts through $22.5 million in campaign coffers

May 26, 2000
Web posted at: 10:08 a.m. EDT (1408 GMT)

NEW YORK (CNN) -- New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani has begun the process of sorting through $22.5 million dollars in contributions to his now-aborted Senate campaign, beginning first by returning approximately $2.8 million in donations intended for the general election.

By law, the mayor has 60 days from the day he announced he was dropping out of the race to return that money to its original donors.

"The most immediate decision that has to made is the money of people that donated over $1,000," Giuliani said Thursday at a City Hall news conference. "I am advised it has to be returned because that's money for a general election and the general election, you know, didn't take place."

The mayor said he would enclose a letter with those returned contributions "requesting or suggesting that the people donate the money to Rick Lazio."

Campaign aides told CNN that more than $100,000 in donations have come in since the mayor announced on May 19 that he was dropping out of the race to focus on fighting his prostate cancer.

Some of those contributions had notes attached urging the mayor to reconsider, aides said.

Bruce Teitelbaum, the mayor's former campaign manager, said Giuliani may take two to three weeks to decide what to do with the remaining money, once debts are paid and the general election portion has been returned.