FEC Sues Christine O’Donnell Over Campaign Irregularities
Christine O’Donnell has largely been out of the news since losing the 2010 Delaware Senate race to Senator Chris Coons, but the Federal Election Commission didn’t forget about her:
Once upon a time there was a candidate for U.S. Senate who told voters she wasn’t a witch. But her story doesn’t end there.
Christine O’Donnell, the 2010 Tea Party candidate in the Delaware race to fill Joe Biden’s seat, allegedly used campaign dollars to pay her rent and utilities on a townhouse she both lived in and used as a headquarters.
The Federal Election Commission filed a lawsuit against O’Donnell, her campaign committee and campaign treasurer on Monday in federal district court in Delaware requesting that the money be paid back, that a fine be leveled and that any transfer of money from her former campaign committee to O’Donnell for her personal use be barred.
The complaint was originally brought to the FEC’s attention in 2010 by the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). The watchdog group alleged that O’Donnell spent at least $20,000 in campaign funds to pay for her personal living expenses.
The FEC voted unanimously that O’Donnell had broken the law. In November, it “endeavored to correct the violations through informal methods of conference, conciliation and persuasion,” according to the lawsuit, but could not reach an agreement. Thus the lawsuit was filed, which is a pretty rare move for the FEC.
The lawsuit says that O’Donnell has claimed to have paid back some of the costs for the townhouse, “but the use of campaign funds for rent or utility payments for any part of a federal candidate’s personal residence constitutes unlawful personal use.”
Assuming that the FEC can prove it’s case, and it seems unlikely that they would have brought the suit if thy couldn’t, then this seems like slam dunk case that, logically, should have been settled before it got to this point.
If the FEC were dealing with a rational person.
Serves her right for accusing the IRS of leaking her tax returns. See the National Organization for Marriage
And if the FEC has to hide or manufacture evidence to convict See Ted Stevens
And I thought Witch Trials were a thing of the past.
@Paul L.:
So you have zero concern that she broke the law?
@anjin-san:
So did Tiawanda Moore.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/16/illinois-eavesdropping-la_n_1208770.html
BUT THE LAW IS THE LAW.
@Paul L.: as my initial reaction was ‘Who the hey is Tiawanda Moore?” I made the mistake of following your link. I discovered that a) she’s a woman who was tried, acquitted by a jury, and has sued for malicious prosecution; and b) the matter was so trivial there’s no reason anyone should know who she is.
Are you trying a Chappaquiddick defense, “A Republican has been charged with something bad, but a Democrat once did something worse, so there.”? If not, I’m failing to see your point.
@gVOR08:
I have as much evidence Tiawanda Moore broke the law as.you do that O’Donnell broke the law.
The prosecutors claim.
@Paul L.: What does the prosecutor’s claim in an obscure IL case have to do with O’Donnell?
@gVOR08:
Just like Anthony Abbate and obrycka v. city of chicago?
@Paul L.: Again, I have no idea what argument you’re trying to make here. What does this have to do with O’Donnell?
@Paul L.:
So your plan is to shuck & jive as much as possible to distract from the fact that O’Donnell stole a hell of a lot more than Michael Brown ever did?
Why is the FEC involved in this?
This sounds more like good, old-fashioned fraud and embezzling than a campaign funding issue. Is there really a special set of laws for embezzling from your campaign funds?
Throw the witch in jail.