Rep. Alan Mollohan (D), who continues to be the subject of a federal investigation, spent about $25,000 on legal fees during the fourth quarter of 2007, according to Federal Election Commission reports released this week.

That number comes to about half of the $55,000 he paid to Kellogg, Huber, Hansen, Todd, Evans & Figel of Washington, D.C., during the third quarter of last year.

Mollohan reportedly is being probed for funneling millions of federal dollars to nonprofit groups in his district whose leaders include campaign contributors to the Congressman or people with close ties to him.

Mollohan’s legal troubles were considered to be a potential burden as he pursues a 14th term this cycle. In his safely Democratic district, Mollohan hasn’t been in a close election in more than two decades.

Despite the ongoing federal investigation, no Republican or Democrat filed with the the West Virginia secretary of state’s office to challenge Mollohan before the state’s filing deadline this past weekend, so short of some catastrophic legal development, he is practically guaranteed another term.

Legal fees aside, Mollohan did some heavy spending in the fourth quarter, logging about $165,000 in disbursements while raising only about $59,000. He ended 2007 with less than $70,000 in cash on hand, down from the $176,000 in cash on hand he reported at the end of the third quarter of last year.
— John McArdle