WASHINGTON — A Republican Party committee mistakenly sent fund-raising letters to 30 foreign embassies, including China's, seeking $5,000 donations, a party spokesman said Friday.
Mike Russell of the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee said the letters were sent by an outside mailing company hired by the party.
"We have different vendors doing different projects. This was an obvious mail vendor problem," he said.
It is illegal for foreigners to make contributions to U.S. political campaigns. The Democratic Party has returned about $3 million, mostly from Asian business interests, some of which appears to have originated in China. Republicans have said the Chinese government deliberately tried to influence the U.S. political process with illegal campaign funds.
