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Pious Perverts See other Pious Perverts Articles Title: VITTER CAN USE SOME CAMPAIGN FUNDS FOR LEGAL FEES WASHINGTON (AP) - Sen. David Vitter, R-La., can use his campaign funds to pay for some of his legal fees stemming from an escort service scandal, the Federal Election Commission decided Thursday. The commission deadlocked, however, on Vitter's request to pay all of his legal fees using his campaign funds. The legal expenses stemmed from the Louisiana Republican being tied to a Washington, D.C., escort service operated by Deborah Palfrey, who was convicted of running a prostitution ring that catered to the powerful. She committed suicide about two weeks after her conviction. Vitter has acknowledged involvement with the service and apologized for what he called a "very serious sin." Palfrey attempted to subpoena Vitter for a pretrial hearing, but Vitter did not testify because the hearing was canceled. Vitter's lawyers asked the FEC to rule on whether the senator could use campaign funds to pay about $207,000 in legal costs, and whether his campaign committee could reimburse Vitter $70,000 for fees he already paid. The Louisiana senator has incurred $85,322 in legal fees for his attempt to quash the subpoena; $31,341 for legal consultation; $75,212.75 in fees for monitoring the Palfrey trial; and $15,301.50 for miscellaneous expenses. Vitter argued that he would never have been targeted by Palfrey if he had not been a senator, therefore his expenses are a result of his official position. "I committed a very serious wrong and mistake," Vitter said in a letter to the commission. "My only point is that others who did the same but were not notable were not similarly treated or targeted by the defense in the Palfrey litigation." Commissioner Matthew Petersen agreed, with the Republican member saying Palfrey made known that she would try to call high profile people in her defense. Therefore, Vitter's expenses were a direct result of him being a senator, Petersen said. But the three Democrats on the FEC said Vitter should not be able to use campaign funds to pay for legal fees in his attempt to quash the subpoena or monitor the Palfrey trial, saying those expenses had nothing to do with him being a senator. Allowing Vitter to use his campaign funds would be giving a green light to lawmakers to use campaign funds to pay for divorce lawyers or lawyers to represent them in other cases where they might face bad publicity, Commissioner Ellen Weintraub said. "To put it plainly, these expenses are the result of some pretty unofficial activities," she said. The three Republicans and three Democrats on the FEC all agreed that Vitter should be able to use his campaign funds to pay legal fees relating to when his subpoena lawyer consulted with Vitter and his media relations staff regarding news management and news statements; for his subpoena lawyer's legal consultations with his lawyer working with the Senate Ethics Committee; and for some miscellaneous expenses. The commission plans to send Vitter a letter telling him the areas in which they agreed. Chairman Donald McGahn II said earlier opinions by the commission suggest that Vitter would be able to use campaign funds to reimburse his legal expenses, despite the commission's current deadlock. But Weintraub suggested Vitter could be putting himself at risk by doing that. If Vitter cannot reimburse himself for his legal expenses, the funds in question would otherwise go toward the first-term senator's 2010 campaign. He has not said whether he will run again. In its latest statement filed with the FEC, his campaign committee said it had $1.9 million cash on hand as of June 30, and no debts. Vitter's lawyers referred calls to his Senate office. A message left at his Senate office was not immediately returned. Well, wouldn't ya know it..........another one of those "Being a Senator made me do it" defenses that works!! Why on God's green earth can't these slimebuckets have the gonads to take responsibility as well as to screw around? So dispicable.........and the gubmint goobers go along with it--as though campaign supporters should fund his little sex parties aftermath. I guess to these goobers had somebody gotten knocked up, campaign supporters could pay for child support for 18 some years! And we wonder why the nation is going in the tank!
Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 1.
#1. To: rowdee (#0)
We've gone from the tank to the bowl and are now circling the drain, Dee.
#2. To: lodwick (#1)
Yup.
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