Mass. GOP's Mihos Fined Over Campaign Spending

The state's campaign finance office levied a record $70,000 fine on former Republican gubernatorial candidate Christy Mihos on Thursday for using personal and business accounts for thousands of dollars in campaign spending over the last two years.

The state's Office of Campaign and Political Finance found Mihos had racked up $112,000 in improper campaign expenditures that he did not disclose on campaign finance reports.

A candidate for governor must use a campaign committee checking account to make expenditures, and then publicly disclose the spending. In addition to using personal and business accounts for campaign spending, the campaign finance regulators said he also used a personal credit card for such spending.

The campaign finance office said Mihos also received excess contributions from individuals, $2,600 in prohibited corporate contributions and often failed to file timely and accurate campaign finance reports. The corporate contributions were disclosed as payments from individuals.

Mihos did not receive enough votes at the Republican convention in April to appear on the Republican primary ballot with Charles Baker.

He did not immediately return calls for comment on Thursday.

State officials say Mihos has agreed to update his committee's campaign finance reports from July 2009 to the present with the campaign payments he made from his personal and business accounts. He also will make sure all contributions he received were accurately reported.

Mihos, a convenience store owner from Hyannis, has agreed to pay the fine in two $35,000 installments. The first payment has already been made and the second will be made by Nov. 12.

Previously, the highest negotiated agreement was $60,000 paid by former Republican lieutenant governor candidate James Rappaport in 2005.