JONATHAN TURLEY

Sen. Craig has reported that he is tapping into campaign funds to pay his legal fees. It is part of a major loop whole in campaign fund rules, knowingly maintained by members of Congress. It is of course an outrage to anyone outside of Congress. When people gave money to Craig, they did so for the purpose of a particular campaign. Members have fought to preserve these loopholes to give campaign money to relatives, pay for trip, and put away funds for entirely different campaigns. They used to be able to take millions into retirement by converting it into income. For a prior column on congressional corruption, click here Ironically, Craig has insisted (with reason) that he should not be expelled because his case has no connection to his office. The same should be true for the rule on the use of campaign funds for litigation expenses. For the full Craig story, click here