Oregon: Ted Stevens

After U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) was found guilty on federal corruption charges Monday, U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Merkley’s (D-Portland) campaign sent out a statement requesting that U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Pendleton) rid himself of any campaign funds he had ever received from Stevens.

A spokesman for U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Merkley (D-Portland) said Wednesday that the Oregon House Speaker has no intention of returning funds he received from U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), who has been accused of withholding income from tax scrutiny. Merkley’s campaign rival, U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Pendleton), has called on Merkley to give the money to charity.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee released a new radio ad Monday tying U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Pendleton) with U.S. Sen. Ted Stevents (R-Alaska), who was indicted last week on charges of concealing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of improper gifts.

U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Pendleton) will give the money donated to his campaign by U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) to charity, according to Smith campaign spokeswoman Lindsay Gilbride. Gilbride did not elaborate as to which charity the money would go to.

Stevens was indicted by a federal grand jury in Washington Tuesday on seven charges, alleging he concealed hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of gifts and home renovations from VECO Corp., an Alaskan oil company.