Former House Speaker Denny Hastert, a Republican, is back in the news. Last year he pleaded guilty to financial misconduct involving hush-money payments to a man he had sexually abused as a teen. Last week, prosecutors released details of the abuse side of this case, saying he had abused at least four boys while he was a high school wrestling coach. The statute of limitation on the abuse is past, but Hastert faces sentencing for the financial violations. Against this backdrop, all eyes in Missouri are on Republican Sen. Roy Blunt, who has steadfastly refused to get rid of or give back the $11,000 in campaign donations from Hastert's PAC.
Blunt, during an interview in Southwest Missouri between events, said he currently does not have plans to part ways with the $11,000 he received from Hastert’s PAC.
"I haven't given it any thought," he said.
Apparently the allegations were disturbing enough that Blunt later decided he had to give it some thought, but they weren't enough to make him repudiate the donation.
"Returning donations gives some sense that you are going to look at the behavior of everybody who gives money to a campaign," said Blunt, R-Mo., who has not officially announced his re-election in 2016, but who is assembling a campaign infrastructure. "I don't know if I have time to do that and I would expect not to be returning donations to anybody."
Roy Blunt. He'll take money from just about anyone. No questions asked.
Please donate $3 today to help Jason Kander get this guy out of the Senate.