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Abstract
The settlement between the New Jersey Congressman and the FEC ends two and a half years of questions surrounding a $525,000 loan [Mike Ferguson] made during his open-seat race against then-Fanwood Mayor Maryanne Connelly.
The bulk of that personal loan came from a trust established by Ferguson's parents for each of their four children. In affidavits filed for the FEC case, Ferguson's father explained that he and his wife had created the trusts after bouts with cancer. Shortly after the funds were transferred to the trust, Ferguson loaned a portion of them to his campaign. Under FEC law, a candidate can contribute unlimited personal sums to his or her campaign.
In April, The Washington Post reported that Ferguson had given his Congressional Member pin to a university undergraduate in a Georgetown bar, and the undergraduate accused the Congressman of groping her. Ferguson has denied the Post's version of events.