An indictment of New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez on bribery and corruption charges may end up haunting Montana Senator Jon Tester during his 2016 re-election campaign.

On Monday, April 6,  the Montana Republican Party sent out a press release highlighting that Tester had taken thousands of dollars from Menendez’s New Millennium PAC.

According to opensecrets.org, Menenedez raised over $12 million in 2012 and a lot of money went to Menendez's fellow senators.

Montana Republican Party Chairman Will Deschamps says it smacks of hypocrisy that both Tester and Governor Steve Bullock are heading up fundraising for candidates despite being very vocal opponents of "dark money."

"We're just trying to bring out the hypocrisy from Senator Tester and also the Governor, on the fact that they are using money that they complain that the Republican party has used for years and shouldn't be," Deschamps said. "It's hypocrisy for the two of them, who complain so much about money other people raise, to be out doing the same thing."

Deschamps says Tester received money from the New Millennium PAC during both of his elections, and should give the money to charity.

"We have it on record that [Tester] received $5,000 from Menenedez in 2010, and another $5,000 in 2012," Deschamps said. "Our source says that Democratic Senator [Michael] Bennett, who received $10,000 from Menendez, gave it to charity."

Democratic Senator Michael Bennett of Colorado isn’t the only one donating the Menendez money to charity. Democrat Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota announced that she would be doing the same last Thursday.

 

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