Kilroy Campaign Banks Craigslist Cash as Site Takes Heat for Apparently Facilitating Prostitution

Though Democratic Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy of Ohio’s 15th District supposedly hails from a radical socialist background, perhaps she’s come to see the light during her tenure in the federal government.

Evidently Rep. Kilroy is not shy about taking money from people with a reputation for facilitating bad behavior–specifically, dodgy internet advertiser Craigslist, which is also under fire by Ohio’s Democrat Attorney General Richard Cordray. The Columbus Dispatch reports:

Cordray and counterparts from several states are demanding that the online classifieds site Craigslist remove a section that they say encourages sexual exploitation.

The attorneys general want the popular web site to take down its Adult Services section, which they say is used for sexual trafficking of children.

The state legal officers told Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster and founder Craig Newmark that the company cannot – or will not – adequately screen its illicit ads, so it must stop accepting them altogether and shut down the Adult Services section.

And when it comes to Kilroy’s cold feet regarding returning the ill-gotten cash, Third Base Politics has some context on the story:

Last week we detailed the charges against Craigslist founder Craig Newmark and his political contributions to a very few select members of Congress…one of which being Mary Jo Kilroy.

Well, this weekend the Craigslist story got even bigger.

From the Washington Post:

Craig Newmark was all over Twitter on Friday, as he is most days, yakking about Android, re-tweeting about Bart Simpson in summer school, reminding his 24,000 followers to vote to end world poverty. He engaged with friends and strangers alike.

MC is still waiting to hear from him.

Newmark is the founder of the worldwide online bazaar Craigslist. MC is a 17-year-old girl who says she was repeatedly sold for sex through ads on Craigslist. In open letters published as newspaper ads, she has beseeched Newmark to shut down the site’s lucrative “adult services” section, which law-enforcement officials and advocates say facilitates prostitution and child trafficking.

[…]This week brought increased pressure. Friday morning, MC’s “Dear Craig” plea appeared in a half-page ad in The Washington Post, along with the account of AK, who said she had been sold for sex by the hour at truck stops, 10 hours with 10 different men each night. Friday afternoon, a federal judge in South Carolina threw out a lawsuit in which Craigslist had tried to stop authorities from investigating whether it has a role in prostitution; and by Friday night, Connecticut’s attorney general had called for Craigslist to shut down its “adult section” site completely. Earlier in the week, CNN aired video of a reporter ambushing Newmark, who was unable to muster a response when confronted with ads that depicted girls being offered for sex.

Remember, Kilroy has accepted a contribution from Mr. Newmark.

In light of his disgusting refusal to yank the ads for “Adult Services” from his website, Congresswoman Kilroy has a responsibility to return any and all contributions Mr. Newmark has made to her campaign. My recommendation would be to send those contributions to the Central Ohio Rescue and Restore Coalition.