GOP Accuses Dykema of Accepting Corporate Campaign Contributions

Yesterday the Massachusetts GOP filed a complaint with the Office of Campaign and Political Finance accusing Rep. Dykema (D-Holliston) of accepting corporate backing for her campaign.

According to a letter from Nate Little, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Republican Party, Dykema solicited donations from local business for a raffle at her last month.

"At the picnic, Rep. Dykema conducted a raffle in which prizes were given out to benefit her candidacy. These prizes were donated by four corporations. These gifts are listed in Rep. Dykema’s campaign sponsored newsletter," the letter said.

The gifts are listed as being from  Red Barn Coffee Roasters, Inc. . and  All four of them in the form of gift certificates.

In a release from Dykema's campaign, she said the picnic was not a campaign event but a regular way of giving back to the community.

"I'm a firm believer in keeping corporate money out of politics. I was proud to support the House resolution denouncing the Citizens United decision, and I have always refused campaign donations from corporate political action committees (PACs). But that shouldn't mean we can't partner with our local businesses to promote a common goal -- in this case, supporting our local seniors," she said.

The senior picnic is something Dykema said she and her predecessors from both parties have done for two decades and she said she was upset that it was being turned in to a political issue.

"I was surprised and saddened to see my opponent's GOP surrogates attack this long-standing, bi-partisan community tradition yesterday," she said in the release.