From LJWorld.com:

A legislator who’s hoping to be elected Kansas’ top elections official was fined $5,000 on Tuesday by the state ethics commission for misusing campaign funds.

The penalty for state Sen. Chris Steineger, a Kansas City Democrat, was the maximum possible. He said the ethics violation resulted from an unintentional mistake and promised to pay the fine quickly.

The Governmental Ethics Commission concluded that Steineger violated a law restricting how campaign funds can be used. Twice last year, Steineger used his Senate campaign fund to pay for polls testing how well voters recognized his name for a potential run for statewide office.

Steineger is running against Secretary of State Chris Biggs in the Aug. 3 Democratic primary. Three Republicans also are running for the office.

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