Pa. Rep. Sestak stands by claim that White House offered him job to drop challenge of Specter

Sestak says White House offered him job to not run

PHILADELPHIA — Rep. Joe Sestak says the White House offered him a federal job in an effort to persuade him not to mount a Democratic primary challenge against Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania.

Sestak said Thursday at a taping of the Comcast Network’s “Larry Kane: Voice of Reason” show that he was offered a high-ranking job but turned it down.

Spokesman Jonathon Dworkin said Friday that Sestak stands by his comments. He declined to provide details about the job offer.

The White House told The Associated Press on Friday that it had no immediate comment on Sestak’s comments.

Sestak is a retired Navy admiral and has attacked Specter’s votes for GOP positions and questioned his loyalty to the Democratic Party.

Specter defected in April from a Republican Party that he said had grown too conservative for him to win another term.