Michael Toner Comments on Super PACs and Rep. Jessie Jackson Jr.'s Campaign Fund

Michael Toner, co-chair of the Election Law & Government Ethics Practice, was interviewed by the Financial Times for a story on the money supports of GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney spent in the days leading up to the Florida primary.

The Times reported that Super PACs supporting Romney spent more than $15 million to buy 13,000 advertising slots on radio and television. "Fasten your seat belts - this is going to be one of the most polarizing elections of our lifetime," said Mr. Toner, a former chairman of the Federal Election Commission (FEC). "The primary season is just a warm-up for these guys. Whatever you see in the primaries will be a drop in the bucket compared to the general election."

Mr. Toner was also interviewed by Roll Call for a story on travel expenses filed by Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. that shed some light on the complicated rules surrounding Congressional travel. According to the article, the expense reports detailed expenditures for a trip to Israel that was billed to the congressman's campaign.

"Campaign funds can be used for officeholder expenses and FEC regulations make clear that's permissible," said Mr. Toner. "But it would be up to the Congressional ethics committees to decide what are bona fide official expenses."