FEC dismisses complaint against Norm Coleman
The Federal Election Commission has dismissed a complaint filed against former Republican Sen. Norm Coleman, his Senate campaign and a former campaign treasurer.
The complaint, filed by Alliance for a Better Minnesota, alleged that Coleman, his campaign committee and his treasurer, Rodney Axtell, illegally used campaign funds to pay legal fees in two civil lawsuits involving a top Coleman donor in Texas and Delaware.
According to the commission, no disclosure reports indicated Coleman used campaign funds for legal bills.
After the complaint was filed, the commission also issued an advisory opinion giving Coleman permission to use campaign funds to pay legal fees associated with the lawsuits.
The lawsuits targeted Nasser Kazeminy, a top donor to Coleman's campaign. They alleged Kazeminy tried to use his company, Deep Marine Technology, to enrich Coleman's family.
The claims surfaced in the final days of Coleman's re-election bid, which he narrowly lost to Democrat Al Franken.
The Texas lawsuit against Kazeminy was dismissed late last month.
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