Sen. Brown returning money from Franken

WASHINGTON — Sen. Sherrod Brown’s campaign will be donating the $28,100 in donations he’s received from Sen. Al Franken to various charities in the wake of reports that Franken groped and kissed a woman in December 2006 without her consent, Brown’s campaign announced Thursday.

Brown’s campaign said the donations from Franken and his political action committee — which span from Brown’s 2006 campaign for Senate through his current campaign for re-election in 2018 and come from both Franken and his leadership PAC — will go to various charities across the state. The campaign announced they’d return the cash after the National Republican Senatorial Committee sent out missives Thursday bashing Senate Democrats who had taken donations from Franken.

“Will Sen. Sherrod Brown immediately denounce Sen. Franken and return the significant donations he has made to his campaign?” the Cuyahoga County Republican Party demanded in an email, noting that Franken has sent out email fundraising solicitations on Brown’s behalf.

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Midwest Values PAC has given a total of $26,000 to Brown’s campaign, giving $10,000 for 2018 and 2012 and $6,000 during Brown’s original campaign for Senate. Franken also has given personal donations — $2,100 in 2006, according to the Federal Election Commission.