Don Young continues to use campaign funds to fight off his looming indictment.

Rep. Don Young's most recent campaign finance report shows that he continues to pay his sizeable legal bills using his campaign account.

Young's most recent filing with the Federal Election Commission shows that the Alaska Republican spent $20,000 last quarter with the Seattle law firm Siderius, Lonergan and Martin. It's not clear whether those bills were for campaign-related expenses or connected to an ongoing federal criminal probe. Young's campaign spokesman didn't return a phone call seeking comment.

Earlier this year, Young's campaign paid $90,020 to John Wolfe, a Seattle attorney who represented Young's campaign manager, Steve Dougherty, in the investigation.
Since the beginning of 2007, Young has spent more than $1 million in campaign contributions on legal fees related to a Justice Department probe -- which includes an investigation into fundraising.

Federal Election Commission guidelines allow public officials to spend their campaign money on attorneys, as long as the legal work is connected to the lawmaker's role as an officeholder. But Young also set up a separate legal expense fund to pay some legal bills; so far, that fund has raised $77,000 and spent $48,000 on Young's legal bills.

In a debate during the campaign, Young said that his legal defense has been expensive, and that he has used campaign money because he doesn't have his own money to spend defending the inquiry. He has consistently refused to detail the exact nature of the investigation, but Congress has called on the Justice Department to investigate an earmark in Florida that stood to benefit a campaign contributor.

Young has also been tied to a federal probe into corruption in Alaska politics, which included the fundraising practices of the former oil-services company Veco Corp. and Bill Allen, its chief executive. Allen was the star witness in the October trial of Sen. Ted Stevens, who was found guilty on seven counts of failing to disclose gifts on his U.S. Senate financial disclosure forms.

As Alaska looks forward to the frighteningly, bright and shiny future that lay ahead, there is still one patch of ugliness marring the landscape. And that is an overgrown little weedpatch known as Don Young.

Unlike Ted Stevens, Don Young is a politician with few if any redeemable qualities.

Along with Stevens and ex-Senator Frank Murkowski, Young represented the most corrupt trifecta in the history of Alaska politics. Stevens was the alpha male, while Murkowski served as his strong arm man, and Don Young simply followed in their wake.

Frank left the Senate to run for Governor, served a term and then had his ass handed to him by perennial lightweight Sarah Palin (Damn, that had to sting, huh Frank?)

And as we know Stevens was recently defeated by Democratic challenger Mark Begich. Of course he only closed the gap to achieve victory after the national media shone a bright spotlight on Alaska which revealed a cache of heretofore "undiscovered" absentee ballots which turned the tide in Mark's favor. Without that scrutiny who knows how things may have turned out. (Thanks Shannyn!)

But somehow the unlovable Don Young managed to survive the political house cleaning. Hmm.

And now we learn that Young has changed not one little bit. He still treats the money Alaskans (and others) gave him to run for office as his own personal piggy bank to pay mysterious legal bills, all while pretending that he is as innocent as a new born baby. (Guilty? Who me?)

But surely Alaskans must see the hook reaching toward Don Young from just offstage, that will soon whisk him away to face corruption charges of his own. This is nothing new. Alaskans have known this day is coming for years. Especially after they saw Ted Stevens indicted and brought to trial. (Go ahead raise your hands. How many Alaskans thought that Stevens would be indicted BEFORE Don Young? Yeah that is what I thought!)

Well regardless of what really happened in November, that may soon prove irrelevant as Don Young joins a long list of corrupt Republican politicians from Alaska that will stand trial for their arrogant, criminal behaviors. No matter how hard Young fights, or how much campaign money he spends, the writing is on the wall. I just will never understand how Alaska voters could not read it for themselves on election day.

Update: I surfed over to visit my friend AKM at Mudflats, and found this cool DropDon.com site that provides ALL of the corruption allegations leveled against Don Young over the years. Pack a lunch because there are a lot! (Oh and if you go over to Mudflats take a moment to read AKM's take on the Don Young situation, it is quite good.)