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Washington, D.C.— The leader of the largest independent union of federal employees was quick to denounce an attempt made on the floor of the Senate today to paint the union as strictly partisan in its campaign donations.

“NTEU donates money to federal candidates based on their support of federal employees and the issues important to federal employees,” said NTEU President Colleen M. Kelley. “This is the union’s sole criteria and under that criteria the union donates money to candidates from both political parties—if they support federal employees.”

Kelley was responding to comments made on the floor of the Senate by Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) that the National Treasury Employees Union uses campaign contributions as political payoffs.

Like all other advocacy groups, NTEU uses a political action committee (PAC), under the guidelines established by the Federal Election Commission (FEC), to help elect those candidates for federal office who support NTEU members.

NTEU has a responsibility to its members to be fully engaged in the legislative process, Kelley said, particularly because so many decisions that affect NTEU members are made by the country’s elected leadership. “Attempts to paint NTEU as using the process in a manner not consistent with federal law and the best interests of our members is simply an attempt by those who do not support us to shoot for a 5-second sound bite,” Kelley added.

NTEU’s PAC—the Treasury Employees Political Action Committee (TEPAC)—is funded through the voluntary contributions of NTEU members nationwide. Union dues are not, and cannot, be used to fund the PAC.

“NTEU members understand the importance of supporting those who support them,” Kelley said.

NTEU is the largest independent union of federal employees and represents more than 150,000 federal workers in 26 agencies and departments.