Ex-Georgia US Rep. accused of improperly spending thousands

ATLANTA – Former Georgia U.S. Rep. John Linder has been accused of improperly spending tens of thousands of dollars of leftover campaign donations on personal expenses.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Thursday that a campaign finance watchdog group filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission this week. The Campaign Legal Center’s complaint accuses Linder of illegally using the money on salaries for his children, phone and internet bills and a trip to Alaska.

The Republican represented a suburban Atlanta district from 1993 to 2011.

The complaint says that after leaving Congress, Linder kept his campaign committee operating for three years and paid his daughter $51,000 for consulting.

Linder says he wasn’t using the money for personal reasons.

President Donald Trump last week nominated Linder to be U.S. ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The position requires Senate confirmation.

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Information from: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, http://www.ajc.com