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Panel doesn't act on ethics complaint

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Feb 14, 2013 at 7:16 am

DES MOINES, Ia. (AP) An Iowa Senate ethics committee voted not to take immediate action on a complaint filed against a Republican senator that accused him of taking improper payments from Rep. Michele Bachmann's presidential campaign.

Committee members Wednesday voted to make no move without more information on the complaint filed Jan 28 by former Bachmann aide Peter Waldron against Sen. Kent Sorenson. Waldron says Bachmann for President tried to conceal payments to Sorenson by running the money through a political action committee with ties to the Minnesota congresswoman.

Davenport Democratic Sen. Joe Seng opposed the move, saying he'd prefer to ask the Iowa Supreme Court to appoint an investigator.

Senate ethics rules bar paid political employment by lawmakers. Sorenson released a statement saying he was looking forward to putting the matter behind him.