By JACOB FISCHLER
Gannett Albany Bureau
ALBANY — In December, former Buffalo Sen. Antoine Thompson spent $750 at a TGI Friday’s from his campaign account.
The Senate committee for former Sen. Vincent Leibell, R-Patterson, Putnam County, spent $931 on tires in November and $267 on two trips to Barnes & Noble in Danbury, Conn., late last year. His Senate committee had just $1,882 left as of last month.
And former Assemblyman David Koon, D-Perinton, Monroe County, treated his outgoing staff to a steak dinner at an upscale Pittsford steakhouse at a cost of $504 through his campaign.
The lawmakers all lost on Election Day last November, but they continued to dip into their campaign accounts for meals, expenses and even $10,000 for a car, a review of campaign-finance records shows.
And it’s legal. State law allows ex-elected officials to continue to use their campaign funds even if they are out of office, and the law is so vague that there are few limits on how they can spend the money, watchdog groups said. Read the rest: http://www.wgrz.com/news/article/108046/13/Even-Out-Of-Office-Lawmakers-Still-Spending-Campaign-Cash?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|t