 A legal defense fund allows third parties to donate monies, with an option for anonymity, to pay for such legal costs.Many American public figures have employed legal defense funds, including Bill Clintonand Sarah Palin.On November 15, 2010, Congressman Charlie Rangel's credibility was questioned when he claimed that until very recently he was unaware that the establishment of a legal defense fund was an option he could use to pay for his defense against corruption chargesThese funds are governed by Congressional ethics rules and guidelines from the Office of Governmental Ethics (OGE), which impose various requirements to limit contributions to the fund.