Republican Norm Coleman is asking a federal agency for permission to use money raised for his Senate race to pay legal fees dealing with allegations that a supporter improperly funneled money through Coleman's wife.
Coleman asked to use campaign funds to respond to lawsuits filed in Texas and Delaware that include claims that Coleman supporter Nasser Kazeminy steered at least $75,000 to the former senator through an insurance agency that employed Coleman's wife.
Coleman is not a party to the lawsuit and has denied any wrongdoing. His attorney, Ben Ginsberg, called the allegations baseless in an April 3 letter to the Federal Election Commission that the FEC released Tuesday.
The request comes as Coleman is locked in an expensive court battle with DFLer Al Franken over the disputed U.S. Senate election. They have created committees to pay for some of the expenses of the recount and trial.
The Minnesota DFL pounced Tuesday on Coleman's request to spend campaign funds on legal fees and other costs related to the lawsuits, which were filed shortly before the Nov. 4 election. "Donors to former Senator Coleman believed that they were donating to his campaign, not to help defend him from his personal legal problems," said a statement by DFL spokesman Eric Fought.
But in the letter to the FEC seeking an advisory opinion, Ginsberg said the expenses were not personal but incurred as a direct result of Coleman's being a federal officeholder and candidate. The letter said the costs came from monitoring the lawsuits and responding to allegations and media inquiries.
"Senator Coleman was targeted in the two lawsuits just before the 2008 election because of his position as a senator and candidate, and for no other reason whatsoever," Ginsberg wrote.
Link to office at issue
While the FEC does not allow campaign funds to be used for purely personal expenses, it has allowed their use for legal expenses related to a candidate's office or campaign.
Alliance for a Better Minnesota, a liberal group, asked the FBI in November to investigate the allegations contained in the lawsuits. The group and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed complaints with a Senate ethics panel as well.
While saying that Coleman did nothing improper, Ginsberg wrote the FEC that "the very reason for the purported improper payment was because of Senator Coleman's status as a federal officeholder and a candidate."
The lawsuits allege that Kazeminy pressured a principal of the firm, DMT, to pay $75,000 to Laurie Coleman through her employer, for the ultimate benefit of her husband.
Ginsberg cites one suit that said Kazeminy told an associate that "'U.S. senators don't make [expletive deleted]' and that he was going to find a way to get money to [Coleman] and wanted to utilize DMT in the process." Kazeminy has denied the allegations.
Pat Doyle • 651-222-1210
