from the Kinzinger for Congress Campaign
NEW LENOX – Even after a House ethics panel unveiled a 13-count list of charges against Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) Thursday for breaking House rules and federal law governing behavior by public officials, Cong. Debbie Halvorson refused to return tainted dollars he raised for her campaign.
Her justification for holding onto the cash? That in fact the contributions she received from a Rangel fundraiser came from people who “just happened to be at the same place,” as the ethically-challenged former Ways and Means Chairman.
Understand now? Neither does the Kinzinger for Congress campaign.
“It is absurd, if not patently false, to argue that money raised from a Rangel fundraiser is not tied to the Congressman himself,” said Erik Rayman, Kinzinger for Congress campaign manager. “The event invitation says ‘this event will benefit the Rangel Victory Fund’ and features a picture of a smiling Congresswoman Halvorson – how much clearer could it be? It is time for Halvorson to do the right thing and return the $40,000 she took in from the event.”
After being pressured from the Kinzinger campaign this Spring, Halvorson divested herself of thousands of dollars in other contributions from Rangel and his fund – but like a seasoned D.C. politician, she is doing her very best to hang on to that final $40,000.
In fact, on a media conference call Thursday, Halvorson at one point said:
“Anything that came from (Rangel) or his Victory Fund went to charity. The other donations were just from a joint fundraiser from other people that happened to be in the same place.” (News Tribune, July 29, 2010).
She later explained:
“The Victory Fund was not from him. It was through a joint fundraising committee. So that was not Rangel’s fund. So money from the Victory Fund was not from him. It was from a joint fundraising committee for several frontline candidates.” (News Tribune, July 29, 2010)
Confused? Halvorson’s 11th Congressional District constituents will be too.
But in all her words, the Congresswoman has made one thing abundantly clear: she really does not want to let go of her cash.
“The residents of the 11th District deserve straight, honest answers not more self-serving double-talk from their elected leaders” Rayman said. “It is time for Debbie Halvorson to stop explaining and demonstrate that she is serious about corruption by returning all of Charlie Rangel’s tainted money – even that last $40,000 from people ‘that happened to be at the same place’ as the beleaguered Congressman.”
