Sheriff Baca Denies Hilton Donation Influenced House Arrest Decision  6/11/07

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca has denied reports his controversial decision to let Paris Hilton out of jail was influenced her grandfather's $1,000 donation to his 2006 re-election campaign.

The Simple Life star was briefly released from Los Angeles' Century Regional Detention Center on Thursday (07Jun07) and allowed to serve the rest of her sentence - imposed for violating probation - under house arrest.

Baca's decision was overturned by a Los Angeles judge on Friday (08Jun07), who sent the heiress back to jail to serve her 45-day sentence in full.

It has since emerged that the Sheriff - who was re-elected for his third term in office last year (06) - had received a $1,000 donation from the 78-year-old business mogul Barron Hilton for his election campaign - leading to accusations of impropriety.

But Baca has dismissed the reports, insisting his decision to free the 26-year-old socialite was based solely on medical grounds.

A spokesman for the Los Angeles sheriff's department says, "The campaign raised over $1 million. Within that context, $1,000 seems small."