A new campaign finance report shows former Massachusetts Senate President Stan Rosenberg has actively used his political account since leaving the legislature last year.
The Amherst Democrat spent about $100,000 between his resignation in May 2018 and the end of the year. That included legal fees ($72,575), phone bills ($2,886.22), and a hotel at a legislative conference in California ($622.04 at the Sheraton Grand Los Angeles).
Jason Tait with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance said former elected officials are allowed to use any remaining money to further their political future.
That includes political and non-profit donations, or "maybe attending a political party's caucus -- the costs associated with that," Tait said.
But the funds can't be used for personal reasons, such as "taking the family to Six Flags, something like that," he said.
Rosenberg did make some political donations, including two to the Northampton Democratic Committee totaling $1,300. He also made charitable contributions (to Mass Humanities, the Amherst Boys & Girls Club and the Lions Club) and spent more than $500 on what was listed as "Amherst Town Council dinner."
After he left the legislature in May, Rosenberg also refunded a few dozen donations made to his campaign committee. His resignation followed the release of an ethics committee report that found he failed to protect the Senate from his estranged husband, Bryon Hefner, who is facing charges of sexual assault.
The 2018 campaign finance filing, dated Tuesday, shows Rosenberg started the year with more than $452,000 and ended it with a little over $223,000.
