The Leadership Institute gets about $8 million a year in contributions from wealthy conservatives.

From late 1984 until he was dismissed, according to political group leaders, Colonel North went to wealthy conservatives for contributions to finance a private supply operation for the contras.

At the same time, wealthy conservatives like Joseph Coors, John Olin and the Koch brothers were stepping up their contributions to conservative causes.

He also acknowledged that his meetings with wealthy American conservatives were part of an effort to raise money for the contras.

Richard Mellon Scaife, a wealthy conservative who has donated to conservative causes, has given some $13 million to the 7,800-student university.

First he found that wealthy conservatives suffered from most of the character defects that he had already observed in not-so-wealthy conservatives.

He, like his old adversary Smith was active in the American Liberty League, a bipartisan anti-New Deal group founded by wealthy conservatives.

He is among a number of wealthy conservatives who have acknowledged making large contributions to the Nicaraguan rebels after Congress cut off official aid in the mid-1980's.

So far, the White House has looked awkward in its response to the rumblings of revolt among wealthy conservatives and ideologists.

Seymour was a wealthy conservative who came under GOP attack for weakness during the war and favoring the anti-war Copperheads.