Good news for Mark Green:It's legal to return DeLay money

Rep. Mark Green will be delighted to hear this: The State Elections Board says it is perfectly legal for him to return about $30,000 in contributions his campaign has received from Tom DeLay's political action committee.

Green's been saying that's illegal, but The Appleton Post Crescent reports:

“The fact of the matter is, I don’t have a federal account anymore,” said Green, who is seeking the Republican nomination for governor in the September 2006 primary. “And as we understand it, it would actually be illegal to do what they are calling for.”

Green transferred $1.286 million from his congressional campaign committee to a state campaign fund last January.

However, a spokesman for the Wisconsin State Elections Board said Thursday that if the money is considered state campaign funds, it could be legally returned.

“Under Wisconsin law you can return contributions,” said spokesman Kyle Richmond.

Wisconsin Democrats also are suggesting the money could be donated to a nonpartisan voter registration drive.

According to the state election’s board spokesman, that would also be legal as long as the voter drive is nonpartisan.