By Keegan Gibson, Managing Editor

It’s a tale as old as time (or since the dawn of political scandals).

An elected official gets him or herself into ethical trouble, and opposition researchers on the other side of the aisle pour through campaign finance records.

Two national Republican organizations, the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee, are calling on two Pennsylvania Democrats to return campaign funds from embattled New York Rep. Anthony Weiner.

“We now know that Bob Casey’s friend Anthony Weiner was lying, and did in fact engage in this lewd online behavior.  So as his party leader Nancy Pelosi calls for an ethics investigation, will Casey tell Pennsylvanians whether he plans to hold on to the $1,000 in campaign cash he took from Weiner?” said NRSC spokesman Chris Bond today.

“Mark Critz now faces a choice between returning the scandal-tainted donations he has received from Congressman Weiner or silently condoning his colleague’s lewd and bizarre behavior that could lead to a potential ethics violation,” said NRCC Communications Director Paul Lindsay. “It comes down to whether Critz is willing to put the needs of his Pennsylvania constituents ahead of his Washington Democrat allies and his own political coffers.”

They’re doubtless two of a series of such press releases sent out across the country.

Weiner is an active fundraiser, and has frequently been involved in Democratic campaigns in Pennsylvania. His campaign committee also donated $1,000 each to Joe Hoeffel, Tim Holden, Lois Murphy and Pat Murphy. He gave $2,000 to Kathy Dahlkemper. He endorsed Joe Sestak in last year’s Senate primary.

His isn’t the only tainted money in PA politics, so to speak. Before he abruptly resigned from Congress amidst a similar scandal earlier this year, New York Rep. Chris Lee’s campaign committee contributed $500 each to Lou Barletta, Mike Fitzpatrick, Pat Meehan and Keith Rothfus.