Sen. Scott Brown must donate to autism charity, opponent Elizabeth Warren declares

BOSTON (AP) - Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful Elizabeth Warren has chosen a charity seeking treatments for autism to receive a donation from U.S. Sen. Scott Brown under an agreement the two signed to discourage outside political ads.

Brown promised to donate $1,000 after learning a political action committee ran online ads on his behalf.

In keeping with the Jan. 23 pledge, the Massachusetts Republican said he would contribute 50 percent of the PAC's spending on the ads to a charity of Warren's choice.

Brown's donation is more than the $336.99 the agreement requires him to pay, he said in a press release.

The Autism Consortium is a collaboration of 15 medical and research institutions in the Boston and Worcester areas working to uncover the causes and find treatments for autism spectrum disorders.

Warren said she chose the charity after speaking with a mother about her two autistic boys during a campaign stop.

"Today, 1 in every 110 American children is affected with an autism spectrum disorder," Warren said in a campaign press release.  "America needs to invest in smart medical research like the work being done by so many members of the Autism Consortium."

"I don't fool myself: This contribution is small, not even a drop in a very big bucket," Warren added. "But I believe in the power of small act."

The Brown campaign released a statement applauding Warren's choice of charity.

"I could not be more pleased that Professor Warren has chosen the Autism Consortium," said Brown in the release. "Over the years, I have advocated at both the state and federal level for more funding for autism research and support for children and families impacted by this disease. It is very gratifying that my People's Pledge is not only keeping Super PAC spending out of Massachusetts, but is also raising awareness for this very important cause."