Hawley illegally paid Senate consultants with state campaign funds, Democrats allege

[babylonsister]

Hawley illegally paid Senate consultants with state campaign funds, Democrats allege

By Lindsay Wise
November 20, 2017 05:00 PM

UPDATED 9 HOURS 6 MINUTES AGO
WASHINGTON


A Democratic legal fund is pressing the Federal Election Commission for an investigation of Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley, alleging that the Republican’s state campaign illegally paid consultants for his Senate bid.

State campaign funds cannot be used for federal campaigns. The rule is intended to ensure that candidates cannot dodge federal contribution limits by raising money under higher state caps and using it for their Senate or congressional campaigns, said Brendan Fischer, director of federal and FEC reform for the Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan watchdog in Washington, D.C.

But as Fischer pointed out, Missouri does allow officeholders to use campaign funds for “any ordinary and necessary expenses incurred in connection with the duties of a holder of elective office.”

Hawley is the top Republican recruit to run against embattled Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill next year in Missouri, a state President Donald Trump won by nearly 19 percentage points in 2016. McCaskill is widely considered the most vulnerable Democrat in the Senate.

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The first complaint accused Hawley of illegally spending money from his state campaign fund on activities that Democrats say qualify as “testing the waters” for a potential Senate run.

The updated complaint, filed by the Democratic fund on Nov. 9, accuses Hawley of “repeated violations.” It says Hawley used more than $180,000 in prohibited funds from his state account to pay for activities that aided the Senate campaign Hawley was “seriously considering” for months before officially declaring his candidacy.


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http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/article185689088.html

[Luka Boyd]

1. Let the hatchet job commence

Its exactly what repukes would do. Plant the seed of corruption early and often.