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Noem Returns Campaign Donations from Tax Dodger Picardi

I'm pleased to note that Rep. Kristi Noem has washed her hands of some dirty money. Rapid City surgeon Edward Picardi took his Tea Party philosophy a step too far by reducing his own taxes through Romneyesque offshore accounts. A jury convicted him yesterday of 13 counts of tax evasion.

As I noted two years ago when those charges were announced, Picardi and his wife Sandra are big Republican donors. According to the Federal Election Commission, the Picardis funneled $4,000 to Kristi Noem's campaign coffers during this election cycle and $4,500 during the 2010 campaign. According to OpenSecrets.org, Ed and Sandra have given thousands of dollars to Senator John Thune, Chris Nelson, the South Dakota Republican Party, and the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Team Noem announced quickly after Dr. Picardi's conviction that it would return the $4,000 in dirty Picardi money from this election cycle. Campaign mouthpiece Tom Erickson said Noem won't return the $4,500 from the 2010 campaign, since that money has already been spent.

Technically, that excuse may not be accurate. I note from Noem's 2010 FEC data that her campaign ended its defeat of Stephanie Herseth Sandlin with $10,701 in cash on hand.

But it is perhaps more important that we turn our attention to Senator John Thune and ask when he will be relieving himself of the $2000 the Picardis have given him this year.

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