Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Washington's Retaliation on Tea Party Candidates Continues: In suit, FEC says Tea Party favorite O'Donnell used funds to pay rent, utility bills

1/7/2015


DOVER, Del. — Former U.S. Senate candidate and Tea Party favorite Christine O'Donnell illegally used at least $20,000 in campaign contributions to pay rent and utility bills at a town house where she worked and lived, the Federal Election Commission says in a lawsuit.

The federal lawsuit, filed Monday in Wilmington, involves payments at the Greenville town house that served as O'Donnell's headquarters in the 2010 Senate campaign. Authorities say O'Donnell lived upstairs in the town house for at least 10 months.

O'Donnell, her campaign committee and former committee treasurer Matt Moran are named as defendants. The lawsuit seeks reimbursement by O'Donnell, plus civil penalties against the defendants. The FEC asks for a permanent injunction against conversion of any other campaign funds.

O'Donnell, who stunned the political establishment by defeating longtime congressman and former governor Mike Castle in the 2010 GOP primary, denied the allegations Tuesday. She accused the FEC of harassing her and abusing its power.

“We have spent the last four years examining every angle of this, and I am very confident that there was absolutely no wrongdoing,” she told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.

FEC spokesman Christian Hilland declined to comment Tuesday, citing the pending litigation.

O'Donnell said FEC officials pleaded with her to take a settlement offer, which she refused.


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