Baucus to Return Abramoff Donations

The Associated Press has reported that Senator Max Baucus, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, is donating nearly $19,000 he received from lobbyist Jack Abramoff’s clients to colleges in his state.

Though Baucus never received the money directly from Abramoff and has never actually met him, Baucus’ spokesman said, “He thought it was the right thing to do on principle.”

Democrats have been claiming that the ongoing ethical scandals are indicative of a Republican “culture of corruption.” This statement is not entirely true because news organizations have been reporting that politicians on both sides of the aisle have taken money from Abramoff. What people need to realize is that when politicians are placed in an environment in which there is no ethics enforcement, there should be no surprise that some will choose to “bend” the laws or choose not to err on the side of ethical propriety.