House passes ethics bill

Candidates could use their campaign funds to pay legal fees under legislation approved in the state House on Monday.

House Bill 310, sponsored by Ethics Committee Chairman Joe Wilkinson, R-Sandy Springs, passed the House 164-0 and now goes to the Senate.

It would make clear that attorneys’ fees are a normal and acceptable expense for campaigns. Gov. Nathan Deal was accused of violating state ethics laws for using state campaign funds to pay legal fees related to a federal ethics investigation while he was running for governor in 2009 and 2010.

The state ethics commission last year voted 3-1 to dismiss the complaint, and HB 310 would change state law to reflect the commission’s decision.

The bill would also allow the ethics commission to send notices to late filers in the same way the late report was filed. Current law requires the commission to send certified letters through the mail for every late report at a cost of more than $5 each.

HB 310 would allow the commission to send those late notices electronically if the late report was filed electronically.