Democratic Congressaional candidate Nick Lampson said today he’ll donate $2,000 to charity, which he received in past campaigns from embattled U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, D-La.

Lampson said he has not received any money from Jefferson during this election cycle. Lampson is running against independent Steve Stockman, Libertarian Bob Smither and an as-yet-unnamed Republican candidate for retiring Congressman Tom DeLay’s District 22 seat.

According to news reports, Jefferson, under investigattion for bribery, was videotaped by the FBI accepting $100,000 in $100 bills from an FBI informant. Court documents state agents found the money hidden in Jefferson’s freezer.

“I oppose corruption whether it is from a Democrat or a Republican,” Lampson said on Wednesday. “I don’t see that there is a legitimate ‘second side to the story’ of finding $90,000 in FBI sting money at the back of a Congressman’s freezer. And I did not enter the race against Tom DeLay’s legacy of corruption just to look the other way when a member of my own party engages in similar activity.”

So, Lampson said, “I am ridding my campaign of any funds that Congressman Jefferson donated to my campaign committee in years past, and I encourage him to resign from the Ways and Means Committee immediately and, if he is indicted, he should resign from Congress altogether.”

Jefferson, an eight-term congressman, so far has refused calls to resign and said he intends to keep voting on matters before the House.

While Lampson said he has received no money from Jefferson this election cycle, Jefferson did donate $1,000 in 1996 and $1,000 in 2004 to Nick Lampson for Congress.

At the time of those donations, no allegations had been made against Jefferson, Lampson’s campaign said in a statement. “Though he has not received any money from Jefferson this cycle, Lampson decided to return past funds to rid his campaign of any funds that have even the appearance of being tainted.”

Jefferson is accused of taking money from contractors who were working to rebuild New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. hurricane-ravaged New Orleans. Accordingly, Lampson’s campaign said, Lampson “will look for a charity helping Hurricane Katrina and Rita victims still here in Texas.”

“It is time for Congress to clean up its act,” Lampson said. “Americans are tired of hearing about this kind of scandal.”