CA Rep Drops Nearly $800,000 on Legal FeesRep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA), who’s been under federal investigation since May for his ties to his friend, lobbyist Bill Lowery, has spent nearly $800,000 on legal fees since his troubles began.
He dropped $200,000 on a legal retrainer for his high-powered team back in June. Since then, he’s paid out approximately $569,000 more, according to his most recent FEC filing.
The amount puts Lewis in the big leagues in terms of legal spending. Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH), for example, who pled guilty earlier this month to accepting bribes from Jack Abramoff, has reported spending less than half as much on his lawyer. Former Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX), by contrast, has run up legal bills exceeding $2 million.
Lewis, of course, can afford to spend his campaign’s dollars. He’s coasting to reelection despite the investigation, and reports having $1 million in the bank.
