Ken Cuccinelli

Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is giving several veterans support programs the campaign funds he received last year from an alleged identity thief who ran a suspect veterans charity organization.

Cuccinelli said today he is distributing $55,700 to “outstanding programs where we know the money will make a positive impact and benefit veterans and their families around the commonwealth.” The programs include the Virginia Veterans Care Center in Salem and the Southwest Virginia Veterans Cemetery in Dublin.

Michael Sluss has more on this story.

Here’s the full text of Cuccinelli’s release:

Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli announced today that he would donate $55,700 from his campaign funds to veterans charities around the commonwealth. The funds match the amount given to the 2009 campaign (plus interest) by a man who donated as Bobby Thompson. The announcement follows Cuccinelli’s commitment last month to donate the funds to Virginia’s veterans.

“We have selected eight outstanding programs where we know the money will make a positive impact and benefit veterans and their families around the commonwealth,” said Cuccinelli. “Throughout the past month, my campaign office has been looking for charities that have immediate need and offer essential services to the veterans community.”

The recipients of the funds are:

Virginia Vets House – Virginia Beach ($10,700)

For more information, please visit: http://www.vetshouseinc.org/

Fischer House – Richmond ($10,000)

For more information, please visit: http://www.richmondfisherhouse.org/

The Order of the Purple Heart – Dale City ($10,000)

For more information, please visit: http://www.purpleheart.org/Mission.aspx

Virginia Veterans Services Foundation:

- The Wounded Warrior Program – Statewide ($10,000)

- The Virginia Veterans Care Center – Salem ($5000)

- Sitter & Barfoot Veterans Care Center – Richmond ($5000)

- Southwest Virginia Veterans Cemetery – Dublin ($2500)

For more information, please visit: http://www.dvs.virginia.gov/board-vsf.shtml

Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program – Washington, DC ($2500)

For more information, please visit: http://www.vetsprobono.org/

The donations will be made over the course of the next month.