Who’s Paying for Larry Craig’s Defense?

People gave to Larry Craig’s Senate campaigns for a variety of reasons: Some wanted lower taxes, some were strongly pro-life, others were impressed by his record on issues such as agriculture, none of them thought they were giving to a legal defense fund, but according to the Politico, that’s exactly what many ended up paying for:

Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) has used $23,000 in campaign funds to pay the top Washington ethics lawyer, Stan Brand, who is fighting his case before the Senate ethics committee, according to Craig’s latest filing with the Federal Election Commission.

No additional legal expenses appear in the report, but they eventually will. Craig, according to his office, has decided to use his campaign committee for attorney fees related to his criminal defense in Minnesota as well.

“A better read (of the latest report) is that Stan Brand bills more quickly,” Craig’s spokesman, Dan Whiting, wrote in an email. The report covers spending from July 1 to Sept. 30 and showed Craig with $475,000 left in the bank.

Tapping campaign funds for what some might argue is a personal legal expense could raise eyebrows at the FEC, which prohibits personal use of campaign funds, but determines on a case-by-case basis whether such funds are being used properly.

Craig must argue that his legal fight in Minnesota – he is seeking the withdrawal of his guilty plea on disorderly conduct charges stemming from a men’s restroom sex sting – is related his office.

Jan Baran, an election law expert and former general counsel of the Republican National Committee, said the argument would be unusual, but it can be made.

UPDATE: CNN finally