Ten grand at stake for traveling with children. State decides you don't get reimbursed for bringing children (probably not as a novel legal question.)

Seventeen grand at stake for $50 per diem while at personal residence for first year and a half. State decides one way or another - simple.

Fourteen other ethics complaints - state investigates and dismisses thirteen of them (with the Troopergate wrinkle in getting to that point.)

Enduring this is not like enduring a few years as a POW with a fighter's spirit. Something is indeed missing as to this $500,000 of legal fees.