Businessman Bruce Lunsford's (D-Louisville) campaign is again trying to pressure U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville) with regard to his fellow Republican Senator, Ted Stevens (R-Alaska). Yesterday, Stevens was convicted on seven counts related to concealing gifts he received from an oil contracter.

In a statement, Lunsford called on McConnell - the Senate Republican Leader - to push for Stevens to be removed from the upper chamber.

"Ted Stevens has been convicted of a felony and could be serving jail time by next year. He should be expelled from the Senate," said Lunsford. "Mitch McConnell is the leader of his party and should take the lead on demanding his expulsion."

In the wake of the conviction, both U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin have called on Stevens to resign from the Senate.

"At a time when Americans have lost faith in Washington, it is simply not acceptable for the Senate to embrace with open arms a Senator who has been convicted by a jury of his peers of seven felony counts," continued Lunsford. "Ted Stevens is now barred by Alaska law from voting in elections because he is a felon - how could Mitch McConnell support letting him vote on matters of our economy and foreign policy?" 

McConnell issued a statement of his own following the conviction, deeming that Stevens will be held "accountable."

"This is a sad but serious day," said McConnell in the statement, according to Politico. "Senator Stevens was found guilty by a jury of his peers and now must face the consequences of those actions. As a result of his conviction, Sen. Stevens will be held accountable so the public trust can be restored.”

This is the latest instance of the Lunsford camp swinging at McConnell during Stevens' legal troubles. Earlier, the campaign joined a call by Democratic Senate challengers across the country in asking McConnell to donate funds he received from Stevens' interests to charity. 

McConnell's campaign obliged in part, donating $10,000 to a Louisville homeless center.

Now on PolitickerKY.com: McConnell joins call for Stevens' resignation