Sen. Klobuchar to return Menendez campaign donations
Will other Democrats join Sen. Amy Klobuchar in returning campaign funds from newly indicted Sen. Robert Menendez?
An aide to Klobuchar told the Associated Press on Wednesday the Minnesota senator will return campaign contributions she received from Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat charged with 14 criminal counts, including bribery.
Federal prosecutors allege Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, used his office to benefit Salomon Melgen, a Florida ophthalmologist who was also indicted, in exchange for nearly $1 million in gifts and campaign contributions.
The AP reports Klobuchar matches the description of a lawmaker known as Senator 1 in the indictment, which says Menendez and this lawmaker agreed to raise $25,000 for each other in their 2012 re-election bids. The indictment says Melgen and his wife ended up contributing $8,000 to Senator 1, who is not accused of wrongdoing. Campaign finance records show Klobuchar received that amount from the Melgens.
"Our campaign has never received questions from federal authorities about these contributions," Klobuchar aide Justin Buoen said in a statement to the AP. "The campaign is returning the contributions and will also be returning the contributions received from Senator Menendez's PAC."
Shortly after Menendez's indictment, the National Republican Senatorial Committee called on Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado to return $10,000 from Menendez's New Millenium PAC.
"Coloradans expect the highest ethical conduct from their representatives in Washington and Senator Bennet has clearly had a lapse in judgement when it comes to Senator Menendez," said NRSC spokesman Matt Connelly.
The Senate GOP campaign committee also sent out news releases earlier this month, amid reports of the New Jersey lawmaker's pending indictment, calling on Democrat Joe Sestak and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid to return campaign funds from the Menendez committee. Sestak, a former congressman, is running for the Senate in Pennsylvania. Reid is retiring.
The New Millenium PAC contributed $90,500 to Democratic candidates and senators up for re-election in the 2014 election cycle, according to records kept by the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics.
They include Menendez's New Jersey colleague, Cory Booker, and Sens. Chris Coons of Delaware, Jeff Merkley of Oregon, Gary Peters of Michigan, Jack Reed of Rhode Island, Brian Schatz of Hawaii, Tom Udall of New Mexico and Mark Warner of Virginia.