Should U.S. Senator David Vitter use campaign money which purportedly were sent to him election campaign for election purposes to pay legal fees in connection with the DC Madam case?
Louisiana U.S. Senator David Vitter is attempting to use approximately $137,000 from his campagin war chest to pay off legal fees he incurred in relationship to the DC Madam case.There are allegations that his number was found on the phone bills of the Jeane Palfrey who later committed suicide after being convicted.
This appeared on the website of the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics In Washington, “There haven't been many surprises when it comes to the scandal involving Senator David Vitter and his interaction with prostitutes. There have been no legal or ethical ramifications for the Louisiana Senator. The "toothless" Senate Ethics Committee exonerated him. Now, he's gaming the system even more. Vitter intends to use campaign funds to pay his legal fees:
U.S. Sen. David Vitter will ask the Federal Election Commission today whether he can use campaign funds to pay for the $137,177 in legal fees he incurred from his involvement in the case of a woman convicted of running a high-priced Washington prostitution ring.
The Louisiana Republican acknowledged in July 2007 that his phone number appeared on the client list of the woman dubbed “the D.C. Madam.” Deborah Jeane Palfrey was convicted in federal court in April of money laundering, mail fraud and conspiracy.
In a letter to the FEC, an attorney for Vitter says his client incurred the legal expenses in monitoring the Palfrey trial and quashing the subpoenas issued to him.
Vitter also had to hire attorneys to defend himself to the Senate Ethics Committee because of a complaint filed by the government watchdog group Citizens For Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. The complaint was dismissed by the committee, which noted that Vitter was not charged with a crime and the incidents occurred when he was a House member.”
Vitter admitted he had sinned when the allegations surfaced.However, he has never discussed any of the facts of the case and was planning to take the 5th Amendment in the Palfrey case were he to be called as a witness.
Vitter should not be allowed to pay his personal legal expenses from campaign funds. Written by David Quidd
on 7/5/2008
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David, dear, we forgive you up to a point. You made you assignations from the floor of the Congress. Others did also, we believe, but cannot prove because not all of the names were listed, dear. Just as the Madame suffered from disclosure so must you and others, if those names were released both in the case of the D.C. Madame and the Canal Street Madame. Transparency, Mr. Letten, is the name of the game that the people want. David, the people who may suffer the most from your having to ante up personally the fees are your family members. You should have thought of that before you carried out your assignations. We applaud your wife for standing by you but we can only go so far. We can forgive like she has and try to forget but there comes a point where the public's interest must be protected. Ante up - get a second job - cut the budget to the bones. Many others are doing the same in these difficult times and they did not come into this situation because of a zipper. Get the message, dear. Written by RhettsWife
on 7/5/2008
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