Let’s get right to the loophole —er, issue…
Currently, lawmakers can have family members work on their campaigns —but the Federal Election Commission (FEC) prohibits paying family members a salary unless they are “providing bonafide services to the campaign” and the salary given is fair market value.
You can fly a plane through this loophole —and many lawmakers, especially Democrats, do.
Rep. Pat Fallon (R-TX) wants to shut this down. His Family Integrity to Reform Elections (FIRE) Act would bar candidates running for federal office from paying family for campaign services.
“Maxine Waters [paid] $1.1 million to her daughter from campaign funds,” Fallon told The New York Post in a statement. “Ilhan Omar, $2.9 million to her husband from campaign funds. James Clyburn, over $200,000 to multiple family members from his campaign.”
“The numbers speak for themselves,” Fallon added. “Americans are sick of politicians abusing their voters’ hard-earned money. This modern-day spoils system must end. My bill shines light on shady campaign finance practices while punishing those who take advantage of these funds to enrich their families.”
Fallon’s ban would include spouses, parents, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, and domestic partners as well as the spouses of campaign committee members, the Post reports.
Any lawmakers who violate the law will pay a steep price.
“If the bill becomes law, any candidate who violates the ban would face a fine of either $100,000 for each violation or twice the amount paid to the family members — whichever is greater — and/or imprisonment for up to two years,” the Post reports. “The campaign committee would not be permitted to reimburse the candidate for any of the penalties.”
In 2020, Opensecrets found that five Republicans and nine Democrats were paying at least $16,000 in wages to family members.
But Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) was by far the worst offender.
“Waters paid her daughter another $24,000 in campaign cash during the most recent quarter,” Conservative Brief reports. “Last year, Waters funneled more than $1 million from her various campaigns to her daughter Karen Waters.”
FIRE Act co-sponsor Rep Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) says this has to stop.
“Campaign funds should never under any circumstances be used to enrich a candidate or their family. Voters deserve to feel confident that their public officials are running to represent them, not line their own pockets,” Garbarino told The Post in a statement.
“This legislation will shine a light on campaign finance and hold candidates for public office to a higher standard on par with the public trust they wield.”
It’s a nice dream. But, like the STOCK Act, we may find lawmakers hesitant to deliver.
