Senator David Vitter (R-LA), has appealed to the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) for authorization to use campaign funds to pay over $200,000 in legal and public relations fees stemming from his alleged involvement with the DC Madam scandal. His attorney Jan Baran claimed in a recent letter to the FEC that the fees are “the direct result of the Senator holding office,” according to the Washington Post.
The Senate Ethics Committee declined to penalize Vitter, citing that his alleged actions took place before he held Senate office, reports the Times-Picayune.
Kenneth Gross, an expert in campaign finance compliance, told the Washington Post that at least part of Sen. Vitter’s legal fees could be covered. He cited that the FEC has previously been “somewhat permissive” in allowing campaign funds for legal expenses in cases where the fees directly related to the official’s position.
Ms. Magazine in its Summer 2008 issue about to hit newsstands features the Vitter scandal in an article entitled “Fall Girls.”
