House ethics panel proposes new guidelines for spending campaign money
COLUMBIA — A House ethics panel gave preliminary approval Tuesday to new rules for appropriate ways to spend campaign money — forbidding its use for living expenses or gifts to lawmakers but allowing certain memberships and clothing purchases.
The proposed rules — which give guidance for 26 scenarios — will go to the full House Legislative Ethics Committee before becoming official. If approved, the guidelines would apply only to future expenses.
Rep. Murrell Smith, a Sumter Republican who chairs the subcommittee, said during the past year many officials and others have posed questions to him about what sort of expenses are legal and proper with campaign money. He said he also has asked them what sort of guidance they would like.
Most scenarios stemmed from that call for requests, while others related to issues faced by House members in recent years — such as former House Speaker Bobby Harrell’s use of campaign money to pay attorney fees.
Read more: http://www.postandcourier.com/20160802/160809878/house-ethics-panel-proposes-new-guidelines-for-spending-campaign-money