Hillary Under Fire for Keeping Donations from Firm Under Investigation for Widespread Sexual Harassment

An NBC investigative news blog reports that Hillary Clinton's campaign has come under fire for accepting donations from International Profit Associates, or IPA, an Illinois management consulting firm. The federal government's Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has accused the firm of widespread sexual harassment, and "degrading anti-female language" toward their female employees. The case, brought against IPA by 103 female employees, is ongoing and IPA vehemently denies the allegations. Hillary's camp argues says that she was unaware of the allegations at the time she accepted the donations, but records show that she has yet to return any of the $170,000 IPA donation, or the personal donations from the disbarred Managing Director, John Burgess, and other senior IPA officials. The case against IPA and the criminal history of Burgess was first brought to her attention in a 2006 New York Times article. Sen. Obama has returned the $2,000 he received from IPA's corporate funds, but kept the $2,000 from the Managing Director's wife. Other Democrats, such as Sen. R. Kennedy have also returned IPA donations. Clinton's campaign says that they have yet to return IPA's funds because the investigation is ongoing and they are awaiting an EEOC ruling before deciding what action to take. Hillary could come under fire from women's groups for keeping the donations, and even some of the former female employees of IPA have denounced her decision. This situation highlights previously explored issues such as corporate donations and candidate responsibility for donors' background records.