Carney returns check after MajorityAP.com report

U.S. Representative Chris Carney, D-PA, became the fourth freshmen Democrat to return a questionable campaign donation following a Majority Accountability Project (www.majorityap.com) investigative report, recently filed records with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) show.

But despite the refund, Carney remains in violation of a promise he made to voters in 2006.

Majorityap.com reported in May that Carney broke a campaign pledge to “not accept money from energy or big oil companies.” Carney broke that pledge on February 22, 2007 - just 49 days after being sworn into office - when he accepted $2,000 from SunPAC, the Political Action Committee (PAC) of Sunoco Oil.

The PAC is largely funded by the oil company’s executives; and, last year, spent more than $87,000 on federal candidates. In 2006, PoliticalMoneyLine reported that Sunoco was rated sixth in Congressional giving among American oil companies, and ninth in spending on federal lobbying. Both stories are available on the website of the Democratic National Committee.

Carney reported in his recent quarterly financial statement to the FEC that he returned SunPAC’s donation on June 5, 2007.

Despite returning SunPAC’s donation, Carney continues to violate his 2006 pledge of not taking funds from energy companies. That same July 15 report shows Carney took money from at least two large energy companies – Exelon, the largest nuclear energy producer in the United States, and FirstEnergy, the nation's fifth largest investor-owned electric system.

Both Exelon and FirstEnergy donated $1,000 to Carney’s campaign committee on June 29, 2007. Their contributions equal the $2,000 Carney refunded to Sunoco.

Carney’s decision to return SunPAC’s donation marks the fourth time in just a few weeks that a freshman Democrat has returned a campaign donation in response to a majorityap.com investigative report. Majorityap.com broke the story of trial lawyer David Bershad’s generous giving to Democrat lawmakers, even after he was indicted on 20 counts of obstructing justice, perjury, bribery and fraud.

Bershad has since cut a deal with federal prosecutors, pleading guilty to conspiracy and agreeing to cooperate with an ongoing investigation into his firm’s alleged kickback scheme affecting a host of lucrative class action lawsuits.

U.S. Senator Clair McCaskill, D-MO, and Representatives Mike Arcuri, D-NY, and Tim Mahoney, D-FL, all pledged to return Bershad’s donations following the majorityap.com article. According to their most recent filings with the FEC, they are yet to do so.