Newspaper questions Cassidy spending on Petroleum Club, Penn Club dues

A Washington newspaper says U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., spent $5,500 in campaign funds on dues to the prestigious Penn Club and another $650 in dues for the Morgan City Petroleum Club, raising questions about whether the expenditures are prohibited by federal campaign law.
The newspaper Roll Call describes the Penn Club as an elite private club. It calls the Petroleum Club of Morgan City as “a social club founded by businessmen in the oil industry. The club offers fine dining, events and drinks.”
A spokesman for Cassidy’s office told Roll Call that the Penn Club expenditures are permissible because they’re connected with campaign events.
The spokesman didn’t address the Petroleum Club dues, the paper said.
The issue turns on whether the spending meets the Federal Election Commission definition of personal use, which the law forbids candidates from funding with campaign funds.
Personal use expenditures include money spent on household items, clothing, salaries for relatives beyond the market value of legitimate work, investments, and rent, mortgage payments or utilities for the candidate’s home.
Under dues, fees and gratuities, FEC guidelines also forbid the use of campaign funds “for dues to country clubs, health clubs, recreational facilities or other nonpolitical organizations unless the payments are made in connection with a specific fundraising event that takes place on the organization’s premises. Campaign funds may be used for membership dues in an organization that may have political interests.”