Texas Rep. Joe Barton set up a legal defense fund earlier this summer after a nude photo of himself that he sent to a woman was leaked last year.

Documents show Barton set up the fund in June after the House Ethics Committee gave him permission to do so for expenses regarding “official duties and position in Congress, and matters bearing on his reputation or fitness for office,” the Dallas Morning News reported.

The documents also said it could cover costs “incurred in connection with incidents described in news articles and any questions with respect to the propriety of your conduct.”

Barton’s spokesman said on Friday that the “fund was created because this is the proper method to be in the strictest compliance with House Ethics rules.”

The photo of Barton was leaked in November of last year and was sent while he was married to his second wife.