“„“Sen. Coleman’s repeated missed rent payments and Mr. Larson’s failure to cash Sen. Coleman’s check suggest that Mr. Larson was not, in fact, necessarily expecting payment,” writes Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, in her letter to the ethics committee. “Moreover, it is unclear whether the $600 rental rate represents the fair market value of the apartment considering other rental rates in the Capitol Hill neighborhood.”
“„Yesterday the Democratic Party alleged at a press conference that the deal violated the Senate’s ethics rules, which prohibit gifts of greater than $50. The limit rises to $250 for gifts from personal friends. But party chairman Brian Melendez stopped short of saying the DFL would file its own ethics complaint. “We’re still exploring our options,” he said.