Republican presidential candidate/Congressman Ron Paul has raised a lot of money for his campaign.  And, a lot of that money has been paid to members of his family who work on the campaign -- at least seven by the count in today's Washington Post.   CREW's Melanie Sloan explained the problems with funding one's family with campaign funds:  

Most of the money has gone to typical campaign expenses such as television, radio and Internet ads, travel, and political advice from consultants and strategists. But unlike other presidential candidates, Paul has also made room on his payroll for his extended brood.

There are no laws prohibiting candidates from hiring relatives, though the Federal Election Commission does require family members to be qualified for the job and be paid the going rate for their work. Melanie Sloan of the group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington said her organization has twice issued reports critical of the practice among members of Congress.

"This was never intended to be a family business," Sloan said. "The reason this is troubling is that it's not clear to donors whether their campaign donations are really going to support the candidacy or to support the family."

Sloan said this was not the first time Paul has hired relatives to perform campaign work on his behalf. The group found payments to daughter Lori Pyeatt during his three previous congressional races, and payments to grandson Matthew Pyeatt and daughter Joy LeBlanc during Paul's 2004 congressional campaign.

An added concern with the presidential campaign, Sloan said, is that Paul has fundamentally transformed his bid for the White House into something more ephemeral. Spending by the campaign has slowed considerably over the past month. Paul spent $470,862 in April, leaving him with $4.7 million remaining.