After Rush Limbaugh referred to Iraq war veterans critical of the war as “phony soldiers,” he got a complaint letter signed by 41 Democratic senators. He decided to auction “this glittering jewel of colossal ignorance,” for charity, and he pledged to match the price, dollar for dollar.
When the eBay auction closed Friday, the winning bid was $2.1 million. It is the largest amount ever paid for an item sold on eBay to benefit a charity.
The money will go to the Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation Inc., a non-profit organization in New Jersey that provides assistance to families of Marines and federal law-enforcement officials who die or are wounded in the line of duty. Limbaugh, the conservative talk show host, is a director of the organization.
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The letter was bought by the Eugene B. Casey Foundation, a $294 million foundation in Gaithersburg, Md., that has given money to a variety of organizations. In a statement, the foundation said its purchase of the letter was intended to demonstrate its belief in freedom of speech and “to support Rush Limbaugh, his views and his continuing education of us.”