This is rich.

Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM) filed a Federal Election Commission (FEC) advisory opinion request on November 15, 2007 asking for permission to use campaign funds to pay both his and his staff’s legal fees resulting from a Senate Ethics Committee investigation initiated as a result of a Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) complaint. CREW’s complaint, filed on March 5, 2007, asked that the Ethics Committee investigate whether Domenici violated Senate Rules by contacting the U.S. Attorney in Albuquerque, New Mexico, David C. Iglesias, and pressuring him about an ongoing corruption probe.

Upon learning of this developemnt, CREW's Melanie Sloan had this to say:

Yet another member of Congress is asking that funds contributed by his supporters for the purposes of paying for electoral expenses be used to defray legal expenses stemming from unethical or illegal activities. The FEC should change its rules to put an end to this practice that makes campaign donors unwitting contributors to legal defense funds.

Some are active and aggressively fundraising while some are dormant, but ten members of Congress have established legal defense funds according to CQ Politics:

Ethics experts say the creation of lawmaker legal-defense accounts has grown in recent years in response to an increase in Justice Department and Federal Election Commission investigations, as well as lawsuits by private individuals.

Five other House members [besides Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA)] and Sen. John Kerry , D-Mass., maintain active defense funds and have reported contributions this year.

Two lawmakers — Sen. Orrin G. Hatch , R-Utah, and Rep. Brad Miller , D-N.C. — have defense funds but have not reported any contributions this year.

“It ebbs and flows,” said Stanley M. Brand, who served as House general counsel and is representing Sen. Larry E. Craig , R-Idaho, in efforts to clear his name before the Senate Ethics Committee.

Craig, who pleaded guilty in August to a disorderly conduct charge, has no legal-defense fund. But paying costs associated with litigation can present a financial hardship for many lawmakers, said Brand, who likened defense funds to the indemnity protections typically extended to corporate officials.

The same might be said of political campaign funds. Lawmakers also are allowed under Federal Election Commission rules to tap their campaign coffers to help pay many legal costs, and Craig is among those who have recently chosen that route.

“Unfortunately, in our era one never knows when their legal difficulties are over,” Brand said.

In addition to McDermott and Miller, Democrats Corrine Brown of Florida and William J. Jefferson of Louisiana have active defense funds. On the Republican side, John T. Doolittle of California, Phil English of Pennsylvania and Tom Feeney of Florida have created funds.

Records show that Feeney has raised $46,100 so far this year, while Doolittle has raised $31,750. Nearly one-third of Doolittle’s donations came from Hatch, who gave $10,000. Both Feeney and Doolittle have been caught up in the federal investigation of convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff.