To Return AIG Workers’ Campaign Contributions Bears ‘Further Examination,’ Says Pence

Whether campaign contributions made by American International Group (AIG) employees to members of Congress during the 2008 elections should be returned is an issue that bears “further examination,” Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) told CNSNews.com on Wednesday.

Pence, who is chairman of the House Republican Conference, also said that if he had received such funds from AIG employees, he would “seriously consider” returning them.

AIG has received $170 billion in Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) bailout funds from the federal government. Last week, the bailed-out company distributed $165 million in bonuses to 400 of its employees, which has sparked intense criticism across the nation.

Further, President Obama and lawmakers on both political sides of Capitol Hill have denounced AIG’s actions and demanded that the bonuses be returned.

But according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a non-partisan group that tallies federal campaign contributions, many lawmakers received large campaign contributions from AIG employees during the 2008 election while the company was in financial straits.

Some of the donations to lawmakers include Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), $103,100;then-Senator, now President Barack Obama(D-Ill.), $101,332; then-Senator, now Vice President Joe Biden (D-Del.), $19,975; Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), $59,499; former Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), $35,965; Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), $11,000; and Sen. Max Baucus, (D-MT), $24,750.