OTTUMWA, IOWA -- State Senator Mark Chelgren of Ottumwa spoke with KTVO Friday morning about a recent article in the Des Moines Register, saying the senator misspent $1300 of campaign funds on dry cleaning, which is against campaign finance laws.
The senator admits that it did in-fact happen, but as soon as he learned of the mistake, he corrected it.
“I didn’t realize I shouldn’t do it. I was the one who put the information their. I was informed by one of my colleagues, hey; you are not supposed to do that. As soon as I found out, I took care of it. We contacted the Secretary of State’s office, said, hey; how do we fix this problem? We put our information through, and paid for it personally. Whenever I make a mistake, I am happy to say, hey; my bad,” said Chelgren.
Chelgren informed KTVO that the amount noted by the Des Moines Registrar was actually incorrect. The total cost of the dry cleaning was around $950.
Senator Chelgren's expenditures can be viewed here.
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