Begich will return Rangel’s donations

Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich (D), who is challenging indicted Sen. Ted Stevens (R) in one of the fall’s most anticipated campaign matchups, announced today he is returning donations from another embattled congressman: Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.)

“The money from Rep. Rangel’s political action committee was donated in June and we’ve since learned more about the allegations against him and realized it would be best to not keep the money,” said Begich spokeswoman Julie Hasquet.

{mosads}Begich will return $10,000 in donations from Rangel, who has been the subject of investigations into unreported income from a variety of rental properties in New York City, Florida, and the Dominican Republic. In recent days, Rangel has faced calls from the likes of The New York Times to temporarily step aside as Chairman of the Ways & Means Committee.

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) has sought to hit Democrats for taking donations from Rangel, publicly criticizing dozens of Democratic candidates who have received funds from the 15-term congressman.

Begich’s camp took the opportunity to highlight what they implied was hypocrisy on the part of Republicans, noting that Stevens and Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) have faced their own ethics scandals.

“How ironic that the Republican Party of Alaska would try to smear the reputation of Mark Begich as Republican Sen. Stevens and Republican Rep. Young are in the national spotlight for corruption,” Hasquet said.