Failed Republican Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell reached out to supporters on Saturday with an impassioned plea as she decides whether to accept a settlement in a Federal Election Commission investigation into her use of campaign funds.
"I'm going to be straight forward and candid in this email - probably more candid and vulnerable than my political advisers would like!" O'Donnell said in a message to the supporters of her political action committee ChristinePAC. "I am facing a major decision and you play a large part in this decision."
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The one-time candidate from Delaware seemed to be leaning toward not accepting the settlement deal as she spoke about the need to stand up against what she believes are politically motivated attacks.
"There is a greater good in this fight - this is about STOPPING THE BULLYING when citizen politicians step up to fight against the corruption in DC. The establishment tries to push us off the field and distract us by burying us with non-sense battles."
The e-mail was sent to supporters in an effort to solicit donations for her legal defense against the FEC complaint, which was brought against her by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington during her 2010 campaign and alleges that she used campaign funds to pay for personal expenses.
"I need your help now more than ever," O'Donnell said. "This will cost us no less than $50,000 in legal fees, let alone the administrative fees for things like filing Freedom of Information (FOIA) requests. For most politicians, that is a small amount. But for everyday Americans like you and me, it’s a lot of money."
O'Donnell admitted that her campaign paid the rent on her townhouse during the 2010 campaign, but she insists that she was using the home as her campaign's headquarters. She denies having done anything criminal.
O'Donnell was also the target of an investigation into whether she violated FEC rules by holding an event with an outside political group, the Tea Party Express, but that complaint was dismissed in June 2011.