(Don) Young's (R-AK) Legal Fees Mount

[Blue_In_AK]

http://www.adn.com/front/story/300926.html

FINANCE STATEMENT: Report says Alaska congressman paid $854,035 for lawyers in 2007; why is unknown.

By ERIKA BOLSTAD
[email protected] | [email protected]

Published: February 1st, 2008 12:17 AM
Last Modified: February 1st, 2008 12:46 AM

WASHINGTON -- Over the course of 2007, U.S. Rep. Don Young's re-election campaign spent $854,035 on legal fees, according to a new report filed on Thursday. And Alaska's lone congressman still isn't saying what the lawyers are doing for the money.

Meanwhile, three of Young's challengers in this year's elections -- Democrats Diane Benson and Ethan Berkowitz, and Republican Gabrielle LeDoux -- appear to have raised more money in campaign contributions than Young in the last three months of the year, although he still has more far more money in the bank.

Young, a Republican who has been in office since 1973, spent $407,190 on attorneys in the last three months of 2007 alone, according to his year-end campaign finance statement filed Thursday with the Federal Election Commission. Among the payments reported: $20,000 to Seattle criminal defense lawyer John Wolfe, who has represented former Alaska Senate President Ben Stevens in an ongoing probe into corruption in state politics.

Like Stevens, son of U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens, Young has not been charged with any wrongdoing. The far-reaching probe made its way to the top political leaders in Alaska, including the elder Stevens. FBI and IRS agents raided the U.S. senator's home in Girdwood last summer as part of an investigation into renovations overseen in 2000 by former Veco CEO Bill Allen. Allen, a major political fundraiser, pleaded guilty to bribing state lawmakers and was a witness in the ongoing corruption investigation. Veco executives have been, by far, the largest single corporate source of campaign contributions to Young since he's been in office.

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FUND SET UP

Faced with continuing legal costs, Young earlier this month set up a legal expense fund so that his campaign cash wouldn't have to go toward lawyers. Some potential donors had said that they would like to donate to his campaign, Anderson said, but not his legal expenses. Others said they would contribute to his legal bills and not his campaign, Anderson said, so they decided to establish the fund.

The legal fund allows donors who have already contributed the maximum $4,600 allowed by law to contribute as much as $5,000 to the legal expense account. Lobbyists are barred from donating to it and Young can't actively solicit contributions, but individuals and corporations are allowed to give him money. Corporations are forbidden from donating directly to re-election campaigns, however.

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[L. Coyote]

1. Rep. Don Young (R-AK) opens a legal defense fund = "House ethics committee approved"

Rep. Don Young (R-AK) opens a legal defense fund = "House ethics committee approved"

Don Young opens a legal defense fund
By Susan Crabtree - 01/30/08 - http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/don-young-opens-a-legal-defense-fund-2008-01-30.html


Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), who is under FBI investigation and faces a tough reelection fight, opened a legal defense fund earlier this month, according to House filings.

The House ethics committee approved the defense fund Jan. 9, but it has not reported taking any donations yet, and Young spokesman Mike Anderson would not say if anyone had written checks.

“We had some feedback from some folks who said they wanted to help us out but they wanted to do so through a legal expense fund, so we went ahead and did that in the hopes that our campaign funds can be freed up,” he said.

Young spent nearly $450,000 of his campaign money on legal expenses last year as several political opponents lined up to try to defeat him, one in his own party. Young is facing a primary challenge from state Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux and a potentially difficult general election as well. ...

[Winterblues]

2. Hope those that donated for Young's election feel they are getting their money's worth

Campaign money spent on Trial Lawyers and Republicans supposedly hate them thar Trial Lawyers