Santorum's charity spends 60 percent on overhead, Santorum's Staff Personally Benefited!

Senator's charity spends 60 percent on overhead, some to campaign aides: "Senator's charity spends 60 percent on overhead, some to campaign aides

WASHINGTON A charity run by Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum is supposed to promote "compassionate conservatism" by giving grants to small non-profit groups, including religious groups.

But the charity has actually donated just 40 percent of the one and a-quarter (m) million dollars it spent during a four-year period. The rest went for overhead. And some of that overhead money went to Santorum campaign aides who were on the charity's payroll.

The 40-percent donation rate is well below the standards of the Better Business Bureau, which advises giving to charitable organizations that spend at least 65 percent of their total expenses on program activities.

The treasurer for Operation Good Neighbor defends its spending practices. She says the charity doesn't have the same ability as the Salvation Army or the Red Cross "to raise money without spending much money to do so."

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