Topeka ? Johnson County District Attorney Phill Kline spent nearly $5,000 left over from his unsuccessful campaign for attorney general on cell phone bills and gifts last year.

State law doesn’t allow payment of business expenses and gifts that aren’t part of a political campaign for which the money was raised. However, it’s unclear if the expenditures were improper.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reported Sunday that $4,270 from the 2006 campaign was spent on cell phone bills last year and about $600 went toward “appreciation gifts.”

Carol Williams, executive director of the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission, said the agency reviews all campaign finance reports.

“If we have questions, we will ask for an explanation,” Williams said Sunday.

However, she would not say whether the commission had questions about Kline’s report. Commission staff members have a long-standing policy of not confirming whether someone is under investigation, in keeping with a state law keeping such matters confidential.