A new report details that Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA) may have violated Federal Election Commission (FEC) rules by using funds to cover legal expenses.
According to German-owned Politico, Warnock took campaign money to cover the cost of a lawsuit that pertained to events that occurred before he became an elected official.
“Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) used campaign money to cover legal expenses for a lawsuit relating to his time as a church minister – transactions that raise questions about whether the spending runs afoul of federal rules governing personal use of campaign funds,” reporter Natalie Allison wrote.
According to the FEC’s website, a candidate cannot use campaign funds for an expenditure that would have occurred regardless of the individual becoming a candidate for office.
“Using campaign funds for personal use is prohibited,” the website reads. “Commission regulations provide a test, called the ‘irrespective test,’ to differentiate legitimate campaign and officeholder expenses from personal expenses. Under the ‘irrespective test,’ personal use is any use of funds in a campaign account of a candidate (or former candidate) to fulfill a commitment, obligation or expense of any person that would exist irrespective of the candidate’s campaign or responsibilities as a federal officeholder.”
Previously, election officials in Georgia investigated a group connected to Warnock over voter registration applications.
“Raphael Warnock and his army of liberal hack lawyers think they are above the law. Seldom held accountable for his misconduct, Senator Warnock operates under the assumption that no one will bat an eyelash at the flurry of lawsuits in which he is currently embroiled – and that he can illegally use campaign funds as a piggy bank for his personal expenses. The shine is fading from the media’s darling as people realize that not everything is on the up and up with Raphael Warnock,” said NRSC Spokesman T.W. Arrighi.
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Georgia Star News and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
