Ferrero said the Innocence Project forwarded the letter to Hsu's defense attorneys in San Francisco and to the California attorney general's office. Hsu helped sponsor a dinner for the organization in April, Ferrero said, describing him as a "strong and committed supporter."
Gareth Lacy, spokesman for the California attorney general's office, confirmed that the office received the note but would not discuss its contents.
Hsu's spokesman declined to discuss the note. The businessman has retained a crisis communications firm, Sitrick & Co.
Hsu, 56, fell ill last Thursday while aboard the eastbound train and was taken to a hospital in Grand Junction, Colo. On Wednesday, he was moved from the hospital to a jail cell. Upon his return to California, he will face sentencing for the 15-year-old grand theft charge, along with FBI investigations into his more recent fundraising and financial activities. Questions have been raised about some of his bundled contributions, involving multiple donations from a large number of individuals.
Until recent weeks, Hsu was a darling of Democratic politicians, donating at least $600,000 himself during the last four years and raising far more than that from associates.
Among the candidates to whom he donated was Obama -- a total of $7,000 in 2004 and 2005. Obama recently gave that same amount to charity. Hsu's associates have given Obama at least $12,600 more.
The biggest recipient of his largesse was Clinton. Aides to the New York senator estimate that Hsu raised $850,000 for her presidential campaign. The Clinton campaign announced earlier this week it would return the $850,000 to 260 donors.
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dan.morain@latimes.com
Times staff writers Tom Hamburger and Chuck Neubauer in Washington contributed to this report.
