WASHINGTON — Republican foes of US President Barack Obama's called Wednesday for a special prosecutor to probe whether White House aides broke the law by offering a Senate candidate a job if he quit his race.
At issue was Democratic Representative Joe Sestak's statement in February that the White House offered him a job to drop out of his ultimately successful primary challenge to veteran Senator Arlen Specter.
Republicans have charged that such an offer could have violated federal law, and Democrats have increasingly called on Sestak to clarify exactly what transpired ahead of critical November elections.
Republican senators -- led by the party's top member on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Jeff Sessions -- urged US Attorney General Eric Holder to "appoint a special prosecutor to investigate this matter, which would avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest."
"Such an offer would appear to violate various federal criminal laws," the seven lawmakers wrote.
The number two Senate Democrat, Dick Durbin, urged Sestak on Tuesday to clear up any misunderstanding.
"Congressman Sestak raised the issue and there's been some confusion, I hope he can make the facts as clear as possible," Durbin told reporters. "As far as the administration is concerned, they will react to that."
But Sestak rejected calls to shed more light on the issue, telling reporters during a walk from one end of the US Capitol to the other "I said 'no' to any deal" and stressing "I've said everything I'm going to say."
The White House has mostly brushed aside questions on the matter, though press secretary Robert Gibbs acknowledged Sunday that there were "conversations" between Obama aide and Sestak.
"Lawyers in the White House and others have looked into conversations that were had with Congressman Sestak, and nothing inappropriate happened," he told CBS television.