Mississippi lawmakers could limit pocketing of campaign cash
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – Mississippi lawmakers are on track to impose rules that for the first time limit officials’ ability to pocket campaign money for personal use.
House and Senate negotiators filed a conference report Monday on House Bill 797, striking a middle ground between stricter rules proposed by the Senate and the House’s proposal to only study the issue. The proposal comes after The Associated Press and The Clarion-Ledger questioned campaign spending in recent reports.
The agreement, if approved by both chambers and signed by Gov. Phil Bryant, would say officials could no longer take leftover money from their campaign accounts at the end of their political careers. The measure would also ban spending on clothing and personal travel.
The new rules would only apply to funds raised after Jan. 1, 2017.
