BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - A woman running for a Louisiana House seat cannot use campaign funds for child care while she attends campaign events, news outlets reported, citing a state Ethics Board decision.
The board’s 5-2 vote Friday reversed an opinion it issued 18 years ago allowing a man to use campaign funds for campaign-related child care.
Morgan Lamandre, an attorney who is running for a seat in House District 66 in the Baton Rouge area, had asked for the board’s opinion, stating in her request that state law doesn’t explicitly allow for such spending.
But she said that a board attorney had told her about the board’s 2000 opinion allowing then-Baton Rouge Metro Council Member Darrell Ourso to use campaign funds for child care.
Lamandre and her husband work full time and have a toddler and a 6-year-old. The Democrat is seeking to unseat Republican Rep. Rick Edmonds.
In the years since that decision, U.S. Sen. John Kennedy and several other candidates have included child care among their campaign expenses.
But on Friday, the board made a different decision, deciding to not agree with the opinion of its staff that candidates can spend campaign money on child care if the work being done while the care is needed is directly linked to campaign duties.
The board levies fines against candidates for improper use of campaign funds. Board chair Bob McAnelly said he did not think Lamandre’s request was specific enough. Other board members said allowing child care to be covered by campaign funds could lead to abuse.
The Federal Election Commission ruled this year that congressional candidates can use campaign funds for child care.
“What I would hope is that legislators, candidates, or potential candidates that are affected by this, including men, would ask for reconsideration,” Lamandre said.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.