Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren says she’s refunding $21,000 in campaign contributions that exceeded the legal single donor limit.
Her Democratic Primary opponents have been quick to jump on the issue, saying it shows lack of transparency and respect for the law. But Warren says campaigns routinely get checks that are too large…and are constantly screening and checking with the elections board to catch things like this. She says those excess contributions are just as routinely returned.
Warren says she’s not concerned with the $21,000 but with what she’s doing and plans to do in the future to revitalize Rochester. She says she’ll accept her opponents’ claims about the money and trusts they are submitting their own campaign donations to the same degree of scrutiny. Warren says she also hopes she’s taken the issue off the table and the campaign can be about ideas from now on. She suggested those who raise the issue are using similar tactics to President Trump.