S.F. Chronicle Editor Suspended for Kerry Donation

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SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A San Francisco Chronicle editor who gave Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry (news - web sites) $400 has been placed on leave for possibly violating the newspaper's rules, the newspaper said on Wednesday.


The newspaper's letters editor, William Pates, reached at home by telephone, confirmed that he had contributed about $400 to the Kerry campaign but declined to comment on his paper's response. Pates said he had worked for the Chronicle for the past 35 years.


"He's on paid leave while we are investigating. We have not made any judgment at this point as to whether the policy was violated," said editorial page editor John Diaz.


"It would be a concern to have somebody who is involved in selecting letters make what amounts to a public demonstration of support for a particular candidate."


The paper, whose editorials backed Democrat Al Gore (news - web sites) in the 2000 election, bars staffers from making campaign contributions without the approval of editors. The San Francisco area is known as one of the most politically liberal in the country.


The paper learned of the contributions from a researcher at a media watchdog group "On the News" who gathered a list of political contributions by San Francisco-area journalists.


Last year the Chronicle fired a technology columnist who was arrested during an anti-Iraq (news - web sites) war protest for creating an appearance of an ethics conflict.