WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart called on his Democratic challenger Tuesday to give back campaign contributions from a top Democrat embroiled in an ethics investigation.

The Miami Republican said Joe Garcia should return the money from Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., as a chorus of voices, including Rangel's hometown newspaper, are calling for the Harlem Democrat to step aside, at least temporarily, as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.

Rangel has asked the House ethics committee to review his failure to report rental income on a vacation home in the Dominican Republic, his use of four rent-controlled apartments and his use of official congressional stationery to ask donors to support an education center named for him. He has said he has done nothing ''morally wrong'' and will hire an accountant to review his books.

But Republicans see an opportunity to embarrass Democrats and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who promised to clean up corruption. Citing the ongoing ethics investigation, Pelosi said Tuesday she saw ''no reason'' for Rangel to step aside.

Rangel -- no stranger in Miami for his opposition to the embargo against Cuba -- held a fundraiser for Garcia in April and has contributed $14,000 to the Democrat's campaign, including $10,000 from his political action committee and $4,000 from his campaign committee.

''Joe Garcia needs to come clean,'' Diaz-Balart's campaign spokesman, Carlos Curbelo, said. ``Taking campaign cash from a corrupt congressman representing the far left of the Democratic Party is out of step with District 25 voters.''

Curbelo added, in a reference to Garcia living in Miami Beach and out of the district, ``That might fly in South Beach, but not in the suburbs of Dade and Collier.''

Garcia, who has outraised Diaz-Balart, said he's not giving the money back. He accused Diaz-Balart of escalating a ''smear campaign'' and noted that Diaz-Balart had accepted campaign contributions from Republican Harry Sargeant III.

Sargeant's campaign contributions to John McCain drew scrutiny and prompted the GOP presidential nominee to return some $50,000 in donations after news reports questioned the validity of several bundled checks sent from Arab Americans in California -- donations solicited by Sargeant's longtime business partner, a Jordanian citizen.

Only U.S. citizens can donate to U.S. political campaigns.

In Diaz-Balart's case, Sargeant and three relatives in March gave $18,400 to him and brother Lincoln Diaz-Balart, also up for reelection.

''Diaz-Balart takes thousands from a bundler who funnels Jordanian money into American campaigns and then attacks Joe Garcia for perfectly legal fundraising?'' said Andy Diaz, a spokesman for Garcia.

``These accusations are simply laughable. If Diaz-Balart is looking to attack someone for taking unethical contributions, he need not look further than his own campaign.''

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