Missouri Ethics Commission tosses complaint against Hawley

June 15, 2018 at 4:25 p.m. | Updated June 15, 2018 at 4:32 p.m.

by Associated Press

FILE - In this May 25, 2018, file photo, Missouri Attorney General and Republican U.S. Senate candidate Josh Hawley takes questions from the media after touring an ethanol plant in Macon, Mo. The end of Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens' tenure as governor Friday, June 1, 2018, could breathe new life into Hawley's campaign. He's seeking to unseat Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill in what's expected to be one of the most contentious races in the nation, a challenging task not helped by turmoil in the governor's office. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)
FILE - In this May 25, 2018, file photo, Missouri Attorney General and Republican U.S. Senate candidate Josh Hawley takes questions from the media after touring an ethanol plant in Macon, Mo. The end of Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens' tenure as governor Friday, June 1, 2018, could breathe new life into Hawley's campaign. He's seeking to unseat Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill in what's expected to be one of the most contentious races in the nation, a challenging task not helped by turmoil in the governor's office. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The Missouri Ethics Commission has dismissed a complaint against Republican U.S. Senate candidate Josh Hawley over pro bono legal services he received in 2016.

The complaint dismissed Thursday was filed by Democratic attorney Jane Dueker. She alleged that Hawley should have reported pro bono legal services as a gift or an in-kind donation to his 2016 attorney general campaign.

A Washington, D.C.-based law firm had represented Hawley in a lawsuit over a Sunshine request for his university emails when he was still a University of Missouri School of Law associate professor.

The commission decided Hawley didn't violate campaign finance rules because the firm represented him in his capacity as a professor. It ruled that the pro bono legal services don't constitute a gift.

Ethics complaints are commonly filed against candidates.

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