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Don Young Gives Campaign Cash to Lawyers
Rep. Don Young (R-AK) has been fighting corruption charges for awhile. He even tried a legal defense fund to help him through hard times, but now it looks like he's started to pay his own million-dollar legal tab from his campaign funds, but also that of Steven Dougherty, his campaign manager who is under FBI scrutiny.
According to the AP:
Young has spent more than $1 million in campaign contributions on legal fees. He is represented by the Washington law firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer and Feld. His campaign finance reports also show $35,020 in fees to John W. Wolfe, a prominent Seattle white-collar defense attorney who represents Dougherty as well as Stevens' son, Ben. The campaign has also paid about $196,000 since October to Tobin, O'Connor and Ewing, a Washington law firm, though it's unclear whom the firm represents.
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Comments (8)
Is it OK to use campaign funds for legal defense fees? Or is it a murky area, and he's just trying to get away with it...?
PS - I don't like Don Young.
July 4, 2008 8:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
hey, cut him some slack
it's not like he used campaign funds for bail money
yet
July 5, 2008 3:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
I believe it is perfectly legal to use these funds for purposes other than what the donors intended. After all, these are the folks who wrote the laws. You cannot expect such important people to obey the same laws which apply to us commoners..
July 5, 2008 1:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
johnnydoughey: Ahh, now I see. Thanks!
July 5, 2008 1:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's legal and ethical so long as the the expense would not have occurred but for Young's position as a candidate or officeholder.
In fact it's normal to use both the campaign account and a legal expense trust. (L.E.T. can accept more $$$ from more sources, but faces more restrictions on disbursements - including liquidation. Also, many contributors are more willing to feed a campaign account than an L.E.T.)
July 5, 2008 2:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Young has spent more than $1 million in campaign contributions on legal fees~Are those voters mentally-challenged? He didn't just spend that in the last month..its an ongoing thing with that crooked s.o.b.
What does that say about the people that keep putting this guy into office? N/m, its a rhetorical question.
July 5, 2008 5:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
I haven't voted for him for years (so therefore according to him I am not represented as only people who vote for him are). I truly don't know who does like him, the problem has been who was running against him. He was the lessor of two evils.
I'm hoping this is the 'magic year' he goes down. There are a couple of great people running against him.
July 7, 2008 2:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
Anyone care to take a bet that he'll whine about being hounded from office because he had to spend his fundraising on legal fees?
July 7, 2008 12:09 PM | Reply | Permalink