Green hangs on to some tainted money

OK, this may seem like nitpicking to some people, and maybe there's a good, logical explanation. I just haven't been able to figure out what it might be.

Here's the question: It seems that Rep. Mark Green has received $6,013 in contributions from Nick Hurtgen, who's under indictment in Illinois for a kickback and influence peddling scheme. He's returning $4.013, but keeping the other $2,000. Why would that be?

The Journal Sentinel reported:

Because of his new standard,[Campaign Manager Mark] Graul said Green had also returned campaign money he had received from others who have run into corruption charges, including $4,000 from Stuart Levine of Chicago, received in December 2003; and $4,013 given in March and September of that year from Nicholas Hurtgen of Glencoe, Ill., a former aide to former Republican Gov. Tommy G. Thompson.

Levine, a prominent Republican contributor, was indicted in Illinois in August on charges of extorting hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks from investment firms seeking business from a multibillion-dollar pension plan for Illinois schoolteachers. In May, he was charged with fraud in a separate case involving alleged use of his role as an official with a state hospital oversight board to block hospital projects.

Levine also gave Walker's campaign the maximum $3,000 donation, and Levine's spouse donated $2,000.

Hurtgen was indicted in May along with Levine in the hospital-projects case. He helped Walker raise more than $25,000 from a group of major GOP players and Chicago-area investment executives in early 2003.

Here are the Federal Election Commission records.

HURTGEN, NICK
CHICAGO IL 60602
06/27/2001
1000.00
BEAR STEARNS/MANAGING DIRECTOR
21990291185

NICK HURTGEN,
GLENCOE IL 60022
12/31/2001
1000.00
BEAR STEARNS/MANAGING DIRECTOR
22990211517

NICK HURTGEN,
GLENCOE IL 60022
03/31/2003
1000.00
BEAR STEARNS/MANAGING DIRECTOR
23990725683

HURTGEN, NICK
GLENCOE IL 60022
09/29/2003
1012.00
BEAR STEARNS/MANAGING DIRECTOR
23992091210

HURTGEN, NICK
GLENCOE IL 60022
09/29/2003
1000.00
BEAR STEARNS/MANAGING DIRECTOR
23992091210

HURTGEN, NICK
GLENCOE IL 60022
09/29/2003
1000.00
BEAR STEARNS/MANAGING DIRECTOR
23992091210

I thought the explanation could be that Green will say he didn't transfer all of the Hurtgen money into his governor's campaign, but that explanation doesn't work any more since his decision to set aside money from another indicted Republican, Tom DeLay.