Another campaign finance loophole

Local, Politics, Virginia 1 Minute

Virginia’s campaign finance structure is based on one thing: transparency. Of course, such transparency supposes that the reports are true and accurate, something I question fairly regularly. I’m from the old “trust but verify” school of thought and wish there were an audit requirement for the reports.

But today’s Virginian-Pilot mentions something else: the campaign funds, as long as the candidate is active, can be used for anything, including personal expenses.

The issue popped up this spring when state officials received a complaint that a Roanoke delegate was making improper expenditures and failing to report them. Democrat Onzlee Ware has since filed amended reports indicating that the money in question went to gas, meals, car rentals and his primary victory party.

But even if Ware had used the money to buy a fennel farm, which he didn’t, there’s little state officials could have done about it.

Truth be told, we have no idea how many legislators are using campaign funds for personal items. It may be that the number is quite small. At the very least, the legislature should prohibit such expenditures.

And while they are at it, consider an audit requirement.

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6 thoughts on “Another campaign finance loophole”

  1. If you live in a rural district where it takes 90 minutes to go from one end to the other, then I can see reimbursing yourself for gas and meals. I actually assumed using campaign money for personal items was totally illegal, unless you had loaned yourself money and you considered the personal item purchase a repayment of the loan. Apparently not.

  2. Vivian, you decry the part-time legislature because of the problem of holding down a real job and working as a legislator, but what about working as a candidate? If only people who can take off several months from work to run can become candidates, what difference is it if only those who can take time off to legislate become candidates?

      1. It takes 90 minutes to go from one end of a LD in Fairfax to another? In the most populous county in the state? I don’t think so. I’m talking about the 100th or the 1st where your district is 100 miles wide. Fairfax has a ton of LD’s in the county. The entire Eastern Shore is one district.

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