OTTUMWA –Second Congressional District Republican candidate Mariannette Miller-Meeks today called on Rep. David Loebsack to donate $5,000 his campaign has accepted from a fellow Democrat embroiled in an ethics probe to local flood relief efforts.

Rep. Charles Rangel, a New York Democrat, is at the center of the ethics investigation for using a rent-subsidized apartment as a fundraising office, failing to pay taxes on income from a Caribbean villa he owns and using his House stationery to solicit contributions to a City University of New York school to be named in his honor.

“Donating the money to flood relief is the right thing to do. But, in case Representative Loebsack needs additional guidance on ethics all he needs to do is look at his fellow Democrat, Mark Begich in Alaska,” Miller-Meeks said.

Begich, who is challenging Sen. Ted Stevens, announced Tuesday that he is donating a $10,000 campaign contribution from Rangel’s PAC to charity. His spokeswoman said the move was made in recognition of “the importance of keeping corruption out of Alaska politics.”

“Iowans would certainly hope David Loebsack has enough regard for our state that he would make the same decision,” Miller-Meeks said.  “I can think of no more worthy cause at this moment than for that donation to be made to flood relief efforts, particularly in light of the fact Congressman Loebsack and fellow Democrats have already taken more than three months to approve federal flood relief and they haven’t gotten the job done yet.”

Miller-Meeks noted that Loebsack bemoaned the “culture of corruption” in Washington D.C. when he first sought office in 2006. Loebsack’s very words were: “I am committed to genuine reforms that protect our rights and ensure that elected officials act appropriately.  So long as Washington continues with politics as usual, few of the changes we as a nation need to move us forward are likely to occur.”

“I’ll give him credit, his words in 2006 were correct. Unfortunately, his actions have never measured up and that’s why David Loebsack needs to go,” Miller-Meeks said.  “I’ll bring about the real change we need to move us forward.”