Senator says he’ll sell stock after family company tied to Mexican labor

An Indiana senator and longtime critic of outsourcing jobs to foreign countries says he's selling his stock in his brother's arts and crafts company after The Associated Press reported it manufactures some products in Mexico.

Democrat Joe Donnelly said in a campaign news release Friday that he made the statement to reporters at the Indiana Black Expo luncheon. Donnelly said he hasn't had an active role in the company for 20 years but was taking the action to avoid allowing the issue to become a "distraction from our work to end outsourcing."

The AP reported Thursday that Donnelly made at least $15,000 in dividends last year on $50,000 of stock in Stewart Superior, which used Mexican workers to produce ink.

The Indiana senator is one of the nation's most vulnerable Democratic senators up for re-election next year and has been a longtime critic of outsourcing jobs to foreign countries. He criticized Carrier Corp. for moving jobs to Mexico last year.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee on Friday said Donnelly has been "hypocritically profiting" from the company's actions. It said Donnelly should donate his sale profits to organizations helping the families of displaced workers.