For example, a candidate or elected official could use their campaign and PAC money to help pay off a portion of their home mortgage, as long as part of the property was used for campaign purposes and the candidate charged his campaign “fair market value,” under one provision of the legislation.
The bill was largely written by two private attorneys who work for Gov. Jeff Landry and represented him in multiple legal disputes he has with the ethics board.
Most recently, lawyers Stephen Gelé and Charles Spies are working for Landry as the governor faces ethics charges for failing to disclose flights he took on a political donor’s plane in 2021. But Wright’s legislation would not affect the outcome of that case against Landry.
Wright said his legislation is also meant to address frustrations elected officials have with ethics board fines and investigations into their spending.
What would be allowed
Should it pass, Wright’s legislation would explicitly let political candidates, elected officials and their PACs spend money on a long list of new services and expenses that aren’t laid out in the current law.
These proposed allowable expenses would include:
*Paying lobbyists at the State Capitol and in Washington D.C.
- Paying for an elected official or candidate’s spouse and children to accompany them to Washington Mardi Gras, a national political convention or any professional conference attended as an elected official.
*Covering any fines or penalties the ethics board has levied against a person for violating campaign finance or ethics laws.
- Paying for security measures such as cameras and fences to be installed in order to protect a candidate or elected official, including at their personal residence or office.
*Payments on a personal or business loan, including a home mortgage, on property owned by the candidate as long as the candidate is using a portion of that property for campaign purposes and is charging his campaign “fair market” value. For example, this could include storing campaign signs in the garage of an elected official’s house and then charging the campaign the market rate of a local storage locker.
*Paying dues, fees and gratuities to a social organization such as a country club, fitness center, Mardi Gras krewe or any other “nonpolitical organization” as long as the membership “facilitates” interaction with a constituent, another elected official or a former elected official.