Last April, a conservative fund-raiser, Carl R. Channell, pleaded guilty in Washington to collecting more than $2 million illegally for the contras.

Less than a year ago, Mr. Channell, who is 42 years old, was perhaps the most successful conservative fund-raiser in the capital.

Mr. Gingrich would also be wise to rein in the claque of conservative fund-raisers who have taken secret contributions to the foundation that supports his ideological campaign.

A10 A conservative fund-raiser fears the effects of Federal investigations into his organizations' links to the Iran-contra affair.

Mr. Fischer worked for Carl Channell, the conservative fund-raiser who has pleaded guilty to tax fraud conspiracy.

Mr. Channell established himself as a top conservative fund-raiser by concentrating on major donors who would give tens of thousands of dollars to his groups.

But the campaign, aided by a prominent conservative Washington-based fund-raiser, Richard Viguerie, has barraged the mailboxes of Republicans across the nation with solicitations.

As far as conservatives are concerned," said Richard Viguerie, a leading conservative fund-raiser and spokesman, "George Bush is hanging by a thread.

"He's got that fire that Lott seems to have lost," said Richard A. Viguerie, the conservative fund-raiser.

Before her tenure, WNYC, like most public radio stations, was a conservative fund-raiser that looked primarily to its listeners and the city for financing.