http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/dekalb/stories/0405natmckinney.html?COXnetJSessionIDbuild127=Eyhl7UIXDnR7tMe7DtVHp7HAVl8WKLusmA0msQTMC8nj1bkjbvUX!-1611490534&UrAuth=%60N]NUOcNXUbTTUWUXUWUZTZUcUWU_UcUZU%60U%60UcTYWYWZV&urcm=y
WASHINGTON — When Rep. Cynthia McKinney of Georgia spent money from her congressional office budget to fly singer Isaac Hayes to DeKalb County last year, it wasn't just to have the superstar attend the opening of her new district office or talk about music education for children of the Fourth Congressional District.
Hayes also was the headliner at a political fundraiser for McKinney at the Stone Mountain home of state Sen. Gloria Butler, a violation of House ethics and campaign rules.
Hayes' trip — $500 for airfare and $400 for accommodations — with funds from her $1 million congressional office budget, which is funded entirely by federal tax dollars. Her aides vowed to pay back the money.
But McKinney's problems grew more serious Tuesday because using House funds to pay for purely political activity is specifically prohibited by House rules. Further, McKinney's failure to list Hayes' expenses on her campaign disclosure forms violated Federal Election Commission rules.
"It's breaking House rules, which prevent a member from using travel funds for anything but their own travel," Sloan said. "And it breaks Federal Election Commission law, which requires that campaign funds be used for campaign expenses."
McKinney's spokesman, Coz Carson, said the misreporting had been an administrative mistake.
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