Anthony Weiner Announces His Resignation in June

Social media enthusiast and former Congressman Anthony Weiner has continued to spend campaign contributions in the three months since he resigned from office in a naked photo scandal in June. Mr. Weiner has spent $130,000 on travel expenses, consulting, research and legal fees.

Congressional newspaper The Hill checked up on Mr. Weiner’s expenses as well as those of two of his fellow scandal plagued ex-New York Congressmen–Chris Lee and Eric Massa. All three men continue to spend campaign contributions.

Mr. Weiner, who is married, resigned from his post representing Queens’ ninth Congressional district June 16 after it was discovered he sent numerous lewd pictures to women on Facebook and Twitter. His post-scandal spending was documented in campaign disclosure reports filed with the federal election commission for the third quarter of this year, which began about two weeks after he resigned and ended September 30. According to the The Hill Mr. Weiner’s campaign spent $10,000 on travel expenses, $25,000 on consulting firms and “policy research” and just under $30,000 on legal fees during the third quarter.

Spending campaign cash after resigning from Congress isn’t illegal as long as the costs are connected to official activity

Mr. Lee, who represented a district in Western New York became known as the “Craigslist Congressman” after a topless photo he sent start an affair on the online personal site surfaced on Gawker in February. He resigned the day the pictures were published. Mr. Lee spent a little over $1,100 last quarter, but his campaign also received $2,750 from the New York State Republican Committee. A spokesman for the committee told The Hill Mr. Lee gave contributions the state Republican party as he closed down his campaign. They gave his gifts back to him.

Mr. Massa resigned from his Western New York district in March 2010 amid an ethics investigation for sexually harassing a male aide. His campaign spent nearly $12,000 during the third quarter with $5,000 going to his wife to serve as a treasurer. Most of Mr. Massa’s money spent during the last three months went to legal expenses including inquiries relating to his scandal and a legal dispute with a former aide.

Mr. Weiner has refunded many donors who gave to his Congressional campaign committee. His campaign had $91,754 remaining at the end of last month. Shortly after his resignation, officials from the state Republican party sent a letter demanding Mr. Weiner return funds from his aborted Mayoral campaign to donors. Mr. Weiner still has about $4 million in that campaign war chest.

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