Visclosky Allowed to Use Funds for Staff, According to FEC

Federal regulators ruled for the first time Thursday that campaign funds can be used to help pay the legal bills of current and former congressional staffers.

The Federal Election Commission decided that Rep. Pete Visclosky’s campaign committee could be tapped to pay these legal expenses. The Indiana Democrat is under investigation for his ties to a now-defunct lobbying firm, PMA Group. He and members of his current and former staff have been subpoenaed by federal investigators.

The agency previously had allowed campaign funds to be used only for legal expenses of officeholders or candidates. But this time around, the commissioners voted 5-1 in favor of allowing the practice.

Read more: (Henry C. Jackson, “FEC Allows Visclosky to Use Funds for Staff,” Associated Press, 8/27/09)