New ethics complaint against Rep. Mike Kelly cites 'luxury trips, transportation, dining'

Kedric Payne, general counsel and senior director of ethics at Campaign Legal Center, said that spending leadership PAC money on travel expenses — even to luxury resorts — does not violate House rules in and of itself. "This can be done in a perfectly legal way, if you are using these trips to get donors, and you are raising money, and then you see that money come right back out in the form of campaign contributions," Payne said. "It's just not clear that that's what's going on in this circumstance. When members of the public see lawmakers using campaign funds to have lavish lifestyles, it does decrease the public trust, whether or not it's legal," he said. 

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