Palin kept donations from tainted politicians

[cal04]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080925/ap_on_el_pr/palin_tainted_donors

Sarah Palin felt so strongly about the public corruption indictment of a Republican state senator this summer that she urged him to resign — but not strongly enough to return the $1,000 he gave to help elect her governor.

The donation from John Cowdery was one of three from Alaska legislators who contributed to Palin's 2006 campaign weeks after the FBI raided their offices. The sprawling public corruption scandal that followed became a rallying point for candidate Palin, who was swept into office after promising voters she would rid Alaska's capital of dirty politics.

One of the three donors is in prison, another is awaiting trial and Cowdery was indicted in July on two federal bribery counts. Palin, now GOP presidential nominee John McCain's running mate, has not returned any of their donations, according to campaign finance disclosures reviewed Thursday.

(snip)
The fact that Palin has kept Cowdery's donation is notable, given that on July 10, the day after he was indicted by a federal grand jury, the governor issued a statement asking him to "step down, for the good of the state."