EAO 359

A legislator may use political contributions to pay or reimburse expenditures incurred by a staff member who normally resides in Austin to lease and furnish a second residence in the legislator’s district if the legislator has requested that the staff member spend time in the legislator’s district during the legislative session to maintain contact with the legislator’s constituents. In the situation described in this opinion, the legislator’s payment of those expenses is not a prohibited “benefit” to the staff member.