I did find this article on Arizona's publicly funded program for state reps. It has me wondering if a state considering this program ought to think about tweaking it so unscrupulous types can't take advantage:
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"Some candidates also appear to have used public funds to enrich their own business interests. Republican Andre Campos was given $45,841 in public funds for his unsuccessful Senate bid. He spent more than half of it, $23,155, at a firm called Image Design Communications.
The firm's sole owner? Andre Campos himself