Ted Lieu is donating money that Edward Buck gave him as a way to distance himself from the entire situation.
At the start of the Ed Buck situation, many were wondering if the democratic donor had not been arrested because of his political affiliations. Unfortunately, there is now evidence of that. Most likely, Buck was not arrested for the death of Gemmel Moore because authorities could not easily tie legal responsibility to him (or chose not to try).
That said, California Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu doesn’t want anyone thinking that Ed Buck used his political connections to him. Because of that, the politician is now donating all of the money he’s received from Buck to LGBTQ charities.
In the statement which originated on his website, Lieu said he was “deeply disturbed by the latest revelations” after the second death at Buck’s home.
The second man to die in Buck’s home was recently discovered earlier this week. Police are investigating the situation around Buck and 55-year-old Timothy Dean, who also was a former gay porn star.
In reaction to Dean’s death, Lieu says that he will donate $18,500 to several LGBTQ, Black, and social rights charities.
The statement reads:
"I am deeply disturbed by the latest revelations of a second death by overdose at the home of Ed Buck. While we await the results of the law enforcement investigation, I am going to donate the contributions I have received from Mr. Buck to my federal campaign over the years to the following charities:
Lambda Legal – $5,000
NAACP – $5,000
GLAAD – $3,000
The Trevor Project – $3,000
Equality California Institute – $2,500"
The investigation into Ed Buck continues.