New Hampshire Governor and Democratic candidate for Senate, Maggie Hassan, will return more than $30,000 in campaign donations from employees at a Boston-based law firm allegedly involved in a straw donor scheme.
An investigation by the Boston Globe and the Center for Responsive Politics found the firm's partners received bonuses that matched their political donations. Three partners at Thornton Law Firm and one of the partner’s wives donated nearly $1.6 million to Democratic Party fundraising committees and various politicians between 2010 and 2014. During that time, those same partners received $1.4 million in “bonuses.” More than 280 contributions were made within ten days of an employee receiving a “bonus” of the same amount.
Hassan received $31,000 from employees at the firm, second only to Democratic Senator Russ Feingold from Wisconsin who received $45,000.
Feingold as well as Representative Patrick Murphy from Florida, Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander, Nevada Democratic candidate Catherine Cortez Masto, former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland and Pennsylvania Democratic candidate Katie McGinty said they will be returning the money they received from employees at Thornton Law Firm, according to Politico.
More specifically, McGinty, Strickland and Murphy announced they will be giving their donations to the Treasury Department.
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid from Nevada, Senator Elizabeth Warren from Massachusetts, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham from South Carolina, Senator Jeanne Shaheen from New Hampshire, and Congresswoman Annie Kuster from New Hampshire also reportedly received donations.
Aaron Jacobs, a spokesperson for Hassan made an official statement on Sunday:
“We had no idea about the practices inside this firm, and we assume that as the Globe reported, none of the other Republican or Democratic candidates who received contributions knew either. We will be returning the contributions from this firm.”