A federal probe into whether former Delaware U.S. Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell violated campaign laws has ended, according to Ms. O’Donnell.
“I write to inform you that this office has closed its review and does not intend to pursue criminal charges at this time,” the Federal Election Commission said in a letter to Ms. O’Donnell’s attorneys.
The probe’s conclusions comes after Ms. O’Donnell acknowledged that she paid part of her rent at times with campaign money, arguing that her home doubled as a campaign headquarters. FEC rules prohibit using campaign money for a candidate’s mortgage or rent.
Lawyers for Ms. O’Donnell requested the FEC consider charges against the group that filed the suit, the Citizens for Ethics and Responsibility in Washington.
Ms. O’Donnell’s lawyer alleged in a letter to the U.S. Attorney’s office that Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Ethics and Responsibility in Washington, knowingly made false statements in the complaint against Ms. O’Donnell.
The Delaware Republican, who lost in a landslide election to Democratic U.S. Senator Chris Coons, gained national attention after her surprise upset victory in the state’s GOP primary. A number of Republicans criticized Ms. O’Donnell and her campaign, questioning her strategy at times.
