[img_assist|nid=2798|title=Congressional candidate Charlie Summers|desc=Campaign Photo|link=none|align=right|width=175|height=237]First Congressional District candidate Charlie Summers (R-Scarborough) made the first attack of the race Friday evening, accusing opponent Chellie Pingree (D-North Haven) of accepting $52,000 from a hedge fund manager.

He called for her to give the money back.

“I have ordered my staff to meticulously go through my contributions and find out if any have connections to hedge fund managers.  If any are found, I will return this money, and my opponent has an obligation to do the same,” Summers wrote in a statement.

Summers said that given the Wall Street crisis and the low Congressional approval rating, “Candidates running for public office cannot put themselves in a position where they look compromised. 

Willy Ritch, communications director for Pingree, said in a statement: “There is no question about Chellie Pingree’s position on tighter regulation and higher taxes for Wall Street. She has consistently called for closing tax loopholes used by private equity and hedge fund managers and a repeal of the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy.  She has been absolutely clear on this over a period of many years.”

Ritch did not address Summers’ call for Pingree to give the money back, and did not respond to a follow-up e-mail.

This is the same attack used by primary opponent Ethan Strimling.