Indiana Dems: GOP has double standard on donations from alleged assaulters

Indiana Democrats accused GOP congressmen of having a double standard in their acceptance of campaign support from President Trump while calling for Democrats to refuse contributions from Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) over new sexual harassment allegations against him.

Indiana Rep. Luke Messer (R) on Thursday called for Indiana Sen. Joe Donnelly (D) to demand Franken’s resignation and return $10,000 in campaign contributions he received from the Minnesota senator, who is accused of groping and kissing an L.A. morning radio show host without consent.

Fellow Indiana Rep. Todd Rokita (R) echoed Messer’s demands in a tweet, while also noting previous allegations made against former President Clinton.

“Donnelly needs to return the $10,000 he has received from Al Franken and fully disassociate himself from alleged sexual abusers like Franken and Clinton,” Rokita tweeted.

Donnelly needs to return the $10,000 he has received from Al Franken and fully disassociate himself from alleged sexual abusers like Franken and Clinton.

— Todd Rokita (@ToddRokitaIN) November 16, 2017

The state Democratic party returned fire at Messer and Rokita for having “hypocritically” failed to follow their own prescribed standards, citing their continued support for Trump despite similar allegations having been made against the president. 

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“Yet Congressmen Messer and Rokita have shown no sign that they wouldn’t accept campaign support from President Trump, against whom more than a dozen women have leveled similar charges, and who was notoriously caught on tape bragging about sexual assault,” the Indiana Democratic Party said in a statement. 

Trump, the party pointed out, has been accused of similar behavior by at least 16 women and was caught on a 2005 “Access Hollywood” tape saying he groped women. 

Donnelly has since donated the money he received from Franken to several Indiana charities and agreed with calls for the Senate Ethics Committee to investigate the claims against the Minnesota senator. 

“What Senator Franken did is wrong and regardless of political party, sexual harassment and sexual abuse are unacceptable,” Donnelly said Thursday in response to the reports of Franken’s misconduct.

The Republicans now “must follow through on their new-found policies and promise to disassociate their own campaigns — whether campaign appearances or contributions — from a politician at the head of their party accused by at least 16 women of sexual harassment and assault,” said Will Baskin-Gerwitz, the Indiana Democratic Party’s senior media strategist.

The statement comes just days after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) called on Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore to step out of the race amid serious allegations of sexual misconduct leveled against him by six women.