WASHINGTON, 21 January — Allegations of ethical misconduct by Enron, the bankrupt energy company, have prompted a wide range of responses by the 21 senators seeking re-election who have received campaign contributions from the company’s political action committee.
In order to avoid any potential personal scandal, some senators are hastily returning any contributions to Enron, or donating them to charities or funds for laid-off Enron employees. They are following the example of the national congressional campaign committees, which have said they will return or donate to charities a total of $302,050.
Other senators, however, say they see no ethical or political reason to return Enron contributions, large or small. Senate Republicans received far more money than their Democratic colleagues, and thus are more likely to be associated with the company. Interestingly, an informal survey found that Republicans are more likely to keep the contributions than Democrats — who received much smaller amounts, making it is less of a problem for them to give it back.
Enron, the energy company that is being investigated for alleged misconduct pertaining to its sudden bankruptcy last year, contributed hard dollars to 71 senators’ campaign funds between 1989 and November of last year, according to a report issued last week by the Center for Responsive Politics. Twenty-one of those senators face reelection this year, 14 Republicans and seven Democrats. Three more who received contributions are retiring.
During the past 12 years, the 14 Republicans received $68,631 through last November — about six times more than the seven Democrats, who received $11,506.
Most of the contributions to senators facing re-election were fairly small. Nonetheless, in a midterm election year even small contributions from a scandal-ridden company can have a political impact because campaign accounts are under heightened scrutiny.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee announced earlier this month that they would each donate $100,000 in Enron contributions to a charity or a fund for laid-off employees. In addition, the National Republican Senatorial Committee already gave $100,000 back to Enron, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee plans to donate $2,050, the amount they received last year, to charities or to funds for laid-off workers.
Yet while some senators are publicly cleansing their campaigns of the tainted money, several senators see no ethical or political reason to return it, at least, not for now.
