By Tessa Roy, WPRO News

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse’s Republican challenger Judge Robert Flanders said it’s not enough for Whitehouse to pledge against taking corporate political action committee (PAC) money: he must also return it.

“When asked why he robbed banks, the infamous criminal Willie Sutton replied, ‘because that’s where the money is.’ Sheldon Whitehouse knew where the money was when he needed it; corporate PACs,” Flanders said.

Flanders, dubbing Whitehouse a “prince of dark money,” said the Senator has $3 million in corporate PAC money that he should give back or donate. He called on Whitehouse to donate the money to a non-profit that advocates for term limits.

Flanders said he did not intend to “entirely forswear” PAC money himself, but did specify pharmaceutical companies and the National Rifle Association (NRA) as places from which he would deny donations. However, he said his issue lied not with the accepting of the money itself, but with keeping it after disavowing it.

“He’s the one who said he’s not going to take it… He thinks it’s bad. If it’s so bad, give it back,” Flanders said. “Don’t just say, ‘oh, now that I’ve got almost $3 million, I’m all set.'”

A Whitehouse campaign spokesperson responded, “We do not have a comment. However, I’d like to clarify that our PAC is also not accepting corporate PAC checks.”