Toomey Sends Letter to Sestak, Calls on him to Live Up to his own Standard of Accountability and Return Earmark-Related Contributions
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For Immediate Release—July 22, 2010
Allentown, PA – U.S. Senate candidate Pat Toomey sent the following letter to Congressman Joe Sestak, calling on the Congressman to fulfill his pledge to return campaign contributions from donors who have been the beneficiaries of earmarks secured by Sestak.
July 22, 2010
Congressman Joe Sestak
428 E. Baltimore Ave.
Media, PA 19063
Dear Joe:
I am writing to you because a week has now passed since the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that you have taken $119,650 in campaign contributions in violation of a pledge on your campaign website to return contributions from individuals and corporations that have received federal earmarks through your congressional office, and still, you have made no move to live up to your promise.
As you are no doubt familiar, you write on your own campaign website: “If an organization or individual has made a request for an appropriations project, and has made a contribution to his campaign, he returns that contribution.”
According to your website, this pledge was made as part of your “effort to restore faith in government.”
This is a noble goal and I fully agree with the sentiment. It is a part of the reason I have long opposed the corrupt Washington earmarking system that results in the waste of millions of taxpayer dollars and shady backroom deals.
But now a week has transpired and you have still refused to comply with your pledge and return the contributions. You have secured millions of dollars in earmarks for companies, while the CEOs have often given the maximum contribution allowed by law to your political campaigns, and at least one even hosted a fundraiser for you.
At the same time, you have offered a series disappointing explanations for your refusal. You told the Philadelphia Daily News that you “did not know the names of the contributors who had received earmarks” despite recently attending a fundraiser in one of their homes. And you told the Pittsburgh Tribune Review that you “never intended to publicize” the donation-return policy, even though it has appeared on your own website for months.
You have spoken much about the need for accountability in public office. I commend you for that sentiment, but your explanations don’t live up to that high standard.
I urge you to return those contributions and live up to your pledge, or, at the very least, acknowledge that you have misled the people of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvanians deserve an open, honest, and transparent campaign. I hope you will take the appropriate steps to help make that possible.
Sincerely,
Pat Toomey
