From the DSCC:
WITH CORRUPTION TRIAL LOOMING, COLEMAN FUNDS MAY GO TOWARD DEFENDING INDICTED SENATORDemocrats call on Coleman to stop his campaign money from being spent to support Ted StevensAccording to a report in today’s edition of Roll Call, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, to which Norm Coleman donated $30,000 this cycle, now says it supports indicted-Senator Ted Stevens’ re-election bid, is polling voters in the state, and is refusing to say whether it will spend money on his behalf through advertising or other campaign spending. After Stevens was indicted in July, Coleman returned $20,000 of the $37,000 Stevens has contributed to him, the GOP caucus removed Stevens from his committee leadership posts, and the NRSC refused to publicly endorse the incumbent in his primary. With even Alaska Governor Sarah Palin refusing to endorse Stevens’ bid, Senate Republicans like Norm Coleman face a critical test of their ethical standards: do they allow their campaign arm to spend money to support a senator indicted by the Bush Justice Department, or do they hew to the standard they set when they removed Stevens from his leadership positions and returned some of his contributions. Stevens’ trial on federal corruption charges is set to begin on September 22, and yesterday was the final day by which he could be removed from the ballot – meaning that every dime spent by national Republicans in Alaska now goes to support his re-election.
“If Norm Coleman wants to say that he rejected some of Ted Stevens’ money out of principle and not for appearances, then he has an obligation to call on the NRSC to stop spending his money trying to bail Stevens out,” DSCC spokesman Matthew Miller said. “It’s time for Norm Coleman to put his money where his mouth is – if he thinks Ted Stevens is corrupt enough that he needed to return some of his money and strip him of his leadership posts, then Coleman shouldn’t let his money be used to support Stevens’ campaign. This is an ethics test for Norm Coleman, and voters will be watching how he responds.”
TODAY: DFL Chair Brian Melendez to File FEC Complaint over Illegal Coordination Between Coleman Campaign and Shadowy “Independent” Special-Interest Groups
Today, Thursday, September 18, 2008 at 2:00 p.m., DFL Chair Brian Melendez will hold a press conference in Room 125 of the State Capitol to release a complaint that the DFL Party is filing with the Federal Election Commission, alleging illegal coordination between Senator Norm Coleman and outside groups advertising on his behalf.
WHO: Minnesota DFL Chair Brian Melendez
WHAT: Press conference to address possibly illegal coordination between Coleman camp and independent organizations
WHEN: Thursday, September 18, 2008 - 2:00 p.m.
WHERE: Room 125, Minnesota State Capitol - St. Paul
I’ve been waiting for this to happen for a long time.
Loading ...
I wonder if all the Chamber of Commerces throughout the nation have a stake in the amount of money that organization is pumping into the Minnesota Senate Race? You don’t suppose some might take a dim view of the tons of money the organization is flushing down the rathole?