SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Legal Newsline)-- California Attorney General Jerry Brown has returned $52,500 in political contributions from targets of a pension fund corruption probe.

The contributions to Brown's 2010 campaign committee were made months before the attorney general reportedly subpoenaed companies run by Sacramento lobbyist Darius Anderson and the political fundraising firm of Daniel Weinstein.

Neither Anderson nor Weinstein have been indicted in the scandal.

The campaign treasurer for Brown, Rubeena Singh, said the campaign returned the political donations June 29 "so that the contributions would not distract from the work of the attorney general's office," the Sacramento (Calif.) Bee reported Wednesday.

Brown is widely expected to run for governor in 2010. Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is barred by the state's term limits law from seeking reelection.

Brown, a former California governor, can seek another two terms because term limits were enacted after he left office in 1983.

In December, Brown received $48,000 from the wife, brother and parents of Anderson, according to state finance records.

Kirt Anderson, brother of Darius and co-founder of Gold Bridge Capital also donated $12,000. Brown also received $4,500 from Wetherly Capital, a Los Angeles firm run by Weinstein.

Brown, 71, was California governor from 1975 to 1983. He was the mayor of Oakland, Calif., from 1998 to 2006, before being elected as the state's chief legal officer in 2007.

Brown unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nominations for U.S. president in 1976, 1980, and 1992.