THE identity of the author of a letter allegedly soliciting funds from a Labour appointed member of the Independent Radio and Television Commission (IRTC) remained a mystery last night.
Mr Derek McDowell, the Labour TD for Dublin North Central, confirmed that he had not written to Mr Aidan Meade, the IRTC member who was yesterday reported to have threatened to expose Mr Michael McDowell TD for seeking funds from him.
But the Progressive Democrats spokesman on finance had never written to Mr Meade and last night the only other TD named McDowell - Derek - said he had not solicited funds either from the IRTC member.
Mr Michael McDowell said he was still seeking an explanation as to why Mr Meade wrote to him in the first place alleging he had received a request for a donation from him and suggesting that the Political Correspondent of The Irish Times, Ms Geraldine Kennedy, might get wind of the fundraising story.
Mr Derek McDowell told The Irish Times last night he had checked all his correspondence and was satisfied he had never written to Mr Meade and in fact never heard of him until this weekend.
Mr Meade said last night he was "perfectly prepared to accept" Mr Michael McDowell's assurance that he was not the author of the letter. "I don't know who can have written it, unless there is a forger in Dublin 6" he said. He added that he had since lost the letter and its envelope.