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Former first lady earmarked Katrina donation for son's firm
Associated Press
Published March 25, 2006
HOUSTON - Former first lady Barbara Bush gave relief money to the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund on the condition that it be spent to buy educational software from her son Neil's company.
Jean Becker, chief of staff for former President George Bush, declined to give the amount earmarked for purchases from Ignite Learning.
Since Barbara Bush's gift, the Ignite Learning program has been given to eight public schools with high numbers of Hurricane Katrina evacuees, the Houston Chronicle reported.
"Mrs. Bush wanted to do something specifically for education and specifically for the thousands of students flooding into the Houston schools," Becker said.
Barbara Bush chose to promote Ignite because she supports her son and has genuine enthusiasm for his company's program, Becker said.
Becker did not say how much the Bush family has given to the fund, established by former presidents Bush and Clinton for victims of the hurricane, which slammed the Gulf Coast in August. Becker did say only the Ignite portion is specifically earmarked.
Two years ago, the Houston school district board debated conflict of interest questions over the Ignite program.
Neil Bush had helped raise $115,000 for the district's philanthropic fund from donors who insisted the money be spent on his company's software.
The district accepted the donations and used them to pay half the costs of new Ignite software, about $10,000 per school.
[Last modified March 25, 2006, 01:51:17]
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