Ethics Group: O’Donnell’s Spending is ‘Flat Out Illegal’
The watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington is planning to ask authorities to investigate Christine O’Donnell’s allegedly unethical use of campaign money for personal purposes: Watchdog group: Delaware candidate’s spending ‘flat-out illegal’.
(CNN) — A watchdog group says it plans to ask authorities in Delaware to investigate Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell’s finances.
At issue are more than $20,000 of spending in 2009 and 2010 that Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington claims was illegal.
“It turns out Miss O’Donnell has treated her campaign funds like they are her very own personal piggy bank. She’s used that money to pay for things like her rent, for gas, meals and even a bowling outing. And that’s just flat-out illegal,” said Melanie Sloan, the group’s executive director.
In an interview on CNN’s “AC360,” Sloan said her organization would be sending letters to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Delaware and the Federal Elections Commission on Monday asking them to investigate.
“For example, in 2009, Miss O’Donnell wasn’t a candidate for anything, yet she had numerous campaign expenses, things like travel and gas, and yet she had no actual campaign,” Sloan said.