OLYMPIA — Republicans called on U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., on Tuesday to return $4,000 in campaign contributions received from embattled Congressman David Wu of Oregon.
But Larsen is planning to keep the money received in three different campaign cycles dating back to 2000.
Wu announced Tuesday he would resign after Congress resolves the dispute on the debt ceiling limit. He’s been under intense pressure to step down amid reports he made unwanted sexual advances toward a young girl.
“If Rick Larsen does not donate David Wu’s campaign contributions, he will be silently condoning Wu’s disgusting behavior,” said Tyler Q. Houlton, spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee.
The NRCC made similar demands of 19 other Democratic representatives Tuesday, Houlton said.
Brooke Davis, Larsen’s political director, said in an email that Larsen “believes that Representative David Wu made the right decision to resign amidst these serious charges. The campaign will not be returning the money.”
Wu contributed $1,000 to Larsen’s first campaign in 2000. Wu made a pair of $1,000 contributions in 2002 and sent another $1,000 in 2010, all through the political action committee he controls known as the Education and Opportunity Fund.
What Republicans did Tuesday mirrored efforts they made in June trying to link Democratic members of Congress with the taint of another disgraced colleague — ex-New York congressman Anthony Weiner.
Then, the Washington State Republican Party demanded U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee, D-Wash., give away a campaign contribution he received from Weiner in 2000.
Inslee did donate that decade-old contribution to Planned Parenthood.
Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623; jcornfield@heraldnet.com.
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