By AP/KWMU
Washington, D.C. – The Federal Election Commission today cleared Senator Jim Talent of Democratic claims that his earnings as a lobbyist amounted to improper contributions.
The panel said the Missouri Republican was within the law.
At issue was Talent's $368,000 dollars of income as a lobbyist and part-time college teacher before he announced he would run for the US Senate. Talent lost a race for governor in November of 2000 and ended his fourth term in the US House at the start of
last year.
The Missouri Democratic Party claimed political supporters gave him lobbying contracts that paid more than he deserved. The Democrats claimed the money was a campaign contribution -- tens of
thousands of dollars above legal limits.
Talent said he did nothing wrong, and the election commission agrees.