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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAPNewsBreak: Senate candidate bills campaign for family trip
https://www.yahoo.com/news/apnewsbreak-senate-candidate-bills-campaign-family-trip-163949737--election.html?nhp=1INDIANAPOLIS (AP) A Facebook page belonging to the wife of an Indiana congressman touted the family's visit to the Ronald Reagan presidential library in Simi Valley, California, with photos showing the two children by the conservative icon's grave and the couple in front of a "humble" wooden table where Reagan signed a massive tax cut.
Although a caption on one of the photos describes the trip as a "family vacation," documents obtained by The Associated Press show Rep. Marlin Stutzman's Senate campaign paid more than $2,000 for the four airline tickets to Los Angeles and covered expenses for a van rental and Hilton hotel room recorded during the August trip. Federal Election Commission guidelines forbid the use of an official campaign fund for personal expenses.
On Wednesday, Stutzman campaign manager Josh Kelley said the candidate repaid the campaign fund last week for the family's portion of the trip after the AP began asking questions about it. Kelley said Stutzman was told last August by a campaign attorney that the trip was a "legitimate" campaign expense because Stutzman's wife and children joined him at some political functions, but he decided to repay it "in the interests of full disclosure."
The California visit represents just a small part of the over $300,000 in flights, vehicle charges, meals and hotel stays Stutzman's campaign fund has spent since the tea party-backed Republican went to Washington in 2010 on a pledge to oppose special interests, an AP review found. That's roughly three times more than Rep. Todd Young, his GOP Senate rival in the May 3 primary who joined the House about the same time.
Vinca
(50,273 posts)COLGATE4
(14,732 posts)Initech
(100,079 posts)Seriously, I could drive you there for $50.
WhiteTara
(29,718 posts)The California visit represents just a small part of the over $300,000 in flights, vehicle charges, meals and hotel stays Stutzman's campaign fund has spent since the tea party-backed Republican went to Washington in 2010 on a pledge to oppose special interests, an AP review found. That's roughly three times more than Rep. Todd Young, his GOP Senate rival in the May 3 primary who joined the House about the same time.
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)gratuitous
(82,849 posts)So some people got around to noticing that Rep. Stutzman had used campaign funds to take his family on a California vacation. Once he got caught, Stutzman "repaid" the campaign fund, so now everything's jake, according to the laws Congress imposes on itself. How many more illegal expenditures are lurking in that $300,000 Stutzman has spent over the last six years?
If you or I got nabbed for liberating a couple thousand dollars of someone else's money for our own personal use, would we avoid charges, a trial or jail time just for grudgingly coughing up the money and returning it to its rightful owner? Magic 8 Ball says, "Enjoy your time in the slammer, peon; shoulda been a congressman."
WhiteTara
(29,718 posts)will probably do time for it. Crazy, no?
former9thward
(32,016 posts)Th most common thing that happens is candidates pay back various amounts when caught. Even if the Federal Election Commission does an investigation they take years to resolve cases and all they can do is impose a fine at best.