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<p>Chula Vista politician John McCann used a legal defense fund to recoup legal fees he owed from a 2014 defamation lawsuit he filed – and he appears to have violated state and local election laws by using a legal defense fund to file a lawsuit, not defend one. </p>
<p>State and local elections laws restrict the use of legal defense funds to only pay fees and costs associated with prosecutions or lawsuits filed against candidates or elected officials. </p>