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Anthony Weiner Facing Fines for Misuse of Campaign Funds

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It appears that trouble has become a veritable magnet for disgraced Congressman Anthony Weiner, as once again his name has hit the headlines. This time however, his computer, his e-mail and salacious texts are not the fodder of the media. Weiner is now being charged with misusing campaign funds during his 2013 run for mayor of New York City.

Under pressure, Weiner resigned from Congress in 2011 when it was revealed that he sent sexually explicit pictures of himself to a woman who followed his Twitter account. During his bid for the top job at City Hall in 2013 it was revealed that he had continued “sexting” with other women. The revelation hurt his campaign and he ended up finishing 5th in the race. His wife, Huma Abedin, was a top aide to Hillary Clinton who left him after it emerged that he sent pictures of himself with their child in bed with them

The charges against Anthony Weiner have racked up a total of $64,956 in fines levied against him by the New York City Campaign Finance Board for using campaign funds for personal use, including paying for his personal phone and dry cleaning.

The penalties were brought against him after the Campaign Finance Board did an audit of all candidates who received public funds in the New York City 2013 Mayoral election. At least 10 financial indiscretions were found to have been committed by Weiner, including paying too much to a fundraising consultant and continuing to make payments to the online streaming company, Vimeo, even after the election came to an end, an action found to be improper by the Board.

This was in addition to Anthony Weiner using public campaign funds for dry cleaning and personal phone bills, an action for which he was fined $2,308 alone. The Board further fined Weiner $22,031 for not adequately demonstrating expenses were being used solely for the campaign. It was also found that Weiner had spent $26,000 on the political fund-raising firm the Esler Group, $56,210 to persons with undetermined professional duties, if any, and another $600 for televisions. Weiner had accepted more than $1.6 million in public funds for his campaign and spent almost $7 million running for mayor in 2013.

Sources close to Weiner’s campaign claim that since Weiner was using his personal phone to talk to reporters during the campaign and using it for solicitations from contributors, they thought it would be allowed as a campaign expense. The charges made by the Campaign Finance Board against Weiner include accepting 21 campaign contributions over the legal allowed limit of $4,950, taking in two contributions over the lower limit allowed for people who have business with the city and accepting two forbidden gifts from corporations.

Weiner’s campaign also continued to spend money even after the election was over, totaling $115,268, which the Board has frowned upon. This includes $46,169 to a consultant which was deemed not to be in accordance with campaign finance rules since no proper contracts were provided.

Any fines levied by the Campaign Finance Board are required to be paid out of Anthony Weiner’s personal funds if he does not have enough campaign funds to cover them.

While he has been given a month to pay the fines as soon as the board sends a formal notice of penalties, he could appeal in a state court. Anthony Weiner has so far declined to comment on any of the allegations or fines.

By: Anat Ghelber

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