Top Democrats Use Campaign Funds To Pay Family Members
(TheRedWire.com) – While it’s not illegal for political campaigns to pay a politician’s family members for services, the amount they dish out might surprise some people. Democrats and Republicans routinely pay their families for services related to stumping for elections, but two top Democrats have implemented the practice in ways ethics experts generally flag as a problem. House Financial Services Committee chairwoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) and House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC) have distributed tens of thousands of dollars to their loved ones ahead of the November 8 midterm elections.
In July and September, Waters’ campaign dished out $16,000 to her daughter in four payments. Karen Waters has organized slate-mailing operations since 2003 through her company, Progressive Connections. The representative has paid her daughter’s company more than $1.2 million in two decades.
FAMILY VALUE$: Top Dems paying relatives thousands of dollars using campaign funds https://t.co/KVk7FaAoJl
— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 17, 2022
Slate mailing is when a campaign hires a consulting firm to design pamphlets highlighting a candidate’s policy proposals and suggests to voters who they should vote for in an election. It’s a highly uncommon practice in federal elections. Waters’ was the only reported candidate to use slate mail in 2020. Additionally, she reportedly paid over $1 million to other family members in the last eight years.
In August, Clyburn paid $7,500 for office rental to his son-in-law and daughter as property investment company co-owners. Since March 2020, his campaign has compensated them with almost $80,000. Additionally, since October 2021, it paid Clyburn’s grandson over $75,000 to manage his re-election efforts.
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