WASHINGTON — Republican senators facing re-election challenges sought to insulate themselves from indicted Sen. Ted Stevens on Wednesday by promising to donate to charity tens of thousands of dollars they received from the veteran Alaska lawmaker’s political action committee.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Texas Sen. John Cornyn, the chairman of the Republican Conference, led the way, with each disclosing that he would relinquish $10,000 in campaign donations from Stevens’ Northern Lights PAC.
Minnesota freshman Sen. Norm Coleman, who’s fighting to win re-election against comedian-turned-politician Al Franken, decided to give away $20,000.
The GOP senators acted a day after Stevens was indicted on charges of lying to conceal more than $250,000 in gifts from Veco Corp., a former Alaska oil-services company.
