A Question Of Ethics: OK To Use Campaign Ipads For Official Work?

Reprinted from Roll Call (June 26, 2012)

Q: I am a staffer for a Senator, and I am hoping you can resolve a question that has arisen about the use of iPads for Senate work. As I understand it, the rules prohibit us from using computers for official Senate business if they are paid for by our Senator's campaign. I have been a staffer for years, and this has been our practice for as long as I can remember. Others in our office say, however, that it is OK to use certain types of computers for Senate work even if paid for by the campaign. Specifically, they say that it is OK to use campaign-funded iPads for official purposes. Is this right?

A: It is right. But I can understand your confusion. Until recently, devices such as iPads had lurked in a gray area in the rules. It was not entirely clear whether it was OK to do official Senate business on campaign-funded iPads. Recently, the Senate Ethics Committee resolved that ambiguity and confirmed that it is OK.

The rule in question is Senate Rule 38, which prohibits "unofficial office accounts." This means that Members and staffers may not fund official activities with private donations, such as campaign funds.

On the other hand, it is permissible to use campaign funds for activities that are "related to official duties or status" but do not qualify as "core Senate functions." The idea is that private individuals should not be paying directly for official duties by Senators and staffers.

The challenge, of course, is to distinguish between activities that are merely related to official duties and those that are actually core Senate functions. Fortunately, there is official guidance on point. Specifically, campaign funds may not be used for franked mail, employee salaries, office space and equipment. Campaign funds may be used for other expenses related to Senate official duties.

The issue here is the prohibition on the use of campaign funds to pay for Senate "equipment." The Senate Ethics Manual states that campaign funds may not be "used to provide equipment used in the performance of official duties, and Members may not accept equipment of loans of equipment from any third party, including any campaign."

There is an exception, however, that permits the use of campaign funds to purchase a handheld communication device (iPhone or BlackBerry) and its associated information technology services. Under this exception, Members and staffers may use campaign-funded cellphones in connection with both...