Kanjorski uses campaign funds to rent his own building Eds:
(AP) – Tens of thousands of campaign dollars donated to U.S. Rep. Paul Kanjorski have been lawfully transferred almost directly to his wallet, a newspaper reported. The congressman’s campaign committee rents space in a Wilkes-Barre office building owned by Kanjorski and his brother, the Times Leader of Wilkes-Barre reported.
While the practice is indisputably legal, critics called it ethically questionable.
Kanjorski, a northeastern Pennsylvania Democrat, and his brother are co-owners of K&K Realty and bought the building at 126 S. Franklin St. in 1984. Since then, they have received more than $90,000 from Pennsylvanians for Kanjorski.
The committee paid $1,500 in rent over a three-month period ending June 30.
Kanjorski defended the rental and cited a 1995 election commission opinion that allowed the campaign committee of Michigan Congressman Bart Stupak to rent space in a building he owned with his wife, provided the rent was fair market value.
“It saves money. It would cost more to rent an office,” Kanjorski said. “It’s always been known that I own the building. It’s on the records. It’s advertised. It’s in newspapers. Everyone knows the building belongs to me and my brother.”
Still, Paul Sanford, a former Federal Election Commission lawyer, said “candidates and members (of Congress) shouldn’t be involved in these types of self-dealing transactions because they are so inherently suspect.”
And state Rep. George Hasay, R-Luzerne, said, “I don’t know of any legislator who rents campaign space from himself.”
The office space is about 500 square feet and is rented for $500 a month. No real estate appraiser was consulted to determine the rate, Kanjorski said.
“It’s private money. It’s not like he’s renting his district office from himself,” said Kanjorski’s media consultant, Ed Mitchell. “If it’s OK with his contributors, it’s OK. They’re the ones who gave him the money.”
In 2001, Kanjorski reported that he and his wife had assets between $890,000 and $2.1 million.
The committee also paid at least $11,928 to one of Kanjorski’s nephews for work as a campaign manager. It paid back as much as $250,000 in personal loans Kanjorski made to his committee in the 1980s. And it paid thousands of dollars in bills for flowers, catering and liquor for Kanjorski.