(AP) -- The Lexington County Republican Party is reprimanding state Sen. Jake Knotts and wants him to resign after the Senate Ethics Committee found he had violated campaign finance laws.
The party on Wednesday released a resolution censuring Knotts and calling for his immediate resignation. The resolution was approved by a 28-22 vote Tuesday.
Knotts said he has no intention of resigning and will continue to do his job.
The Senate Ethics Committee in September ordered that Knotts be reprimanded and told him to repay nearly $25,000 in excess contributions over the past decade and take steps to correct sloppy record keeping. The committee found no evidence Knotts used campaign money for personal purposes or that campaign money was missing.
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