PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- The attorney for former Secretary of State Shemia Fagan is shedding light on questions surrounding some of her travel expenses while she was in office.

Questions about those travel expenses were first highlighted by The Oregonian/OregonLive.

In a statement to KOIN 6 News last week, the acting Secretary of State called Fagan's frequent travel with family members "not appropriate for an elected official in her position.

Travel expenses sent to KOIN 6 showed instances where the former SoS booked hotel rooms that included her children and a pet.

Fagan resigned from her position following ethical concerns connected to her work as a consultant for the cannabis chain La Mota. The results of the ethics investigation into Fagan are expected on July 14.

In an email on Tuesday, David J. Elkanich, Fagan's attorney, claims all state travel reimbursements were submitted to the agency and approved by someone other than herself.

Elkanich also responded to KOIN 6's questions about a $20,000 reimbursement from campaign funds Fagan filed in April, which one a former lawmaker described as "eye-popping." His statement can be seen below.

"Ms. Fagan was always careful to comply with all regulations and policies regarding expenditures reimbursed by the State or her PAC. Her state travel reimbursements were submitted to the agency and approved by persons other than herself, as required by the agency's travel policy. Her campaign-related expenses were submitted to her PAC Treasurer, who approved them in keeping with campaign finance rules. Political action committee reimbursements for meals, lodging, travel, and childcare are permissible; those regulations exist so that full participation in elected office is not limited to the wealthy or retired, and so that parents of young children are not excluded from public service. In that vein, Ms. Fagan shares custody of her young children and was not willing to leave them behind whenever she traveled for official business or political events. Her expenses were appropriately routed through the proper channels and reimbursed in accordance with the applicable rules.

Second, the reimbursement you inquired about was for expenses accounted for by Ms. Fagan's campaign’s treasurer, C&E Systems at the time the expenses were incurred. Candidates and elected officials are often required to utilize their personal funds for campaign and public service-related expenses. Oregon campaign finance regulations, require those expenses to be reported either as In-kind contributions or Personal Expenditures. Personal Expenditures are eligible for reimbursement if/when committee funds are available. Several of the trips Ms. Fagan took in 2022 (at a time when airline tickets were at an all-time high) were not for state business and were paid for entirely by her PAC, e.g., two trips to Alaska at the request of the Democratic Lieutenant Governor's Association and the Alaska Democratic Party; a trip to San Francisco at the request of Emerge America, and a trip to Sunriver for the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association summer convention."

Stay with KOIN 6 News as this story develops.