Lawmakers can’t use campaign cash for their dry cleaning, House panel says
COLUMBIA Members of the state House of Representatives cant use campaign money to pay for their dry cleaning but they can use that cash account to buy tickets to political events, a panel ruled Thursday.
Those scenarios were among a list of campaign expense guidelines approved by the House Ethics Committee as lawmakers sought to clear up some of the fuzzy boundaries of where their spending can legally go.
Were all trying to tighten up and be as specific as we can, Ethics Chairman Kenny Bingham, R-Cayce, said. The laundry list opinion is done to try to give some people some guidance because people are petrified of making a mistake and getting a negative newspaper article.
The advisory opinion provides direction for House members on 26 scenarios. Many of them came out of lawmakers own calls of requests for clarity at a time when special prosecutor 1st Circuit Solicitor David Pascoe is looking into possible Statehouse corruption on the part of legislators.
Read more: http://www.postandcourier.com/20160901/160909952/lawmakers-cant-use-campaign-cash-for-their-dry-cleaning-house-panel-says