Buyer directed calls to the campaign committee treasurer, who did not return calls. He has around $40,000 remaining in his "Storm Chasers PAC." A spokeswoman for Rep. Buyer, who announced in January he is not running for another term. The outgoing House member with the biggest PAC is Steve Buyer, R-Ind. Bayh's PAC, called "All America PAC," is the largest of its kind, with nearly half a million bucks in it, money he can legally keep.
PUBLIC MONIES ARE USED TO FINANCE WHICH CAMPAIGNS FULL
Bayh made his announcement, he told CNN's Wolf Blitzer he intended to use his unspent campaign millions to help support other Democratic candidates - though considering the $2,000-per-election federal limit, he would have to support a lot of candidates if he wanted to put the $13 million to full use. But the funds may not be converted thereafter for personal use.Īfter Sen. It would be legal for an outgoing lawmaker's campaign committee to donate leftover campaign money to a family foundation, as long as it is a bona fide charitable organization set up under Internal Revenue Service rules, according to two separate F.E.C. Efforts to contact his staffers were unsuccessful. Bayh's office in Washington went straight to a voice mail message recorded by Bayh himself. Over the years, it has donated money to a variety of causes, including college scholarships.Ĭalls to Sen. In 2002 Bayh created, along with his wife, The Evan and Susan Bayh Foundation. It's common for elected officials to create nonprofit foundations. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., includes an allegation that he not so subtly used congressional letterhead to raise money for the City College of New York's Charles B. For example, the current ethics probe into the finances of Rep. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate, a think tank organized in Kennedy's later years, or to the JFK presidential library.Įlected officials, of course, have been known to steer money toward pet charities and causes whether they are leaving office or not. Kennedy's widow, Vicki, could direct the treasurer to carve off money for any number of charities, such as the Edward M. Up to $2,000 per election can be donated to other politicial campaigns. The official treasurer of the campaign has the power to decide where that money goes, according to the F.E.C. Ted Kennedy passed away, he left behind a $4.5 million campaign war chest. Starting in 1979, though, there have been continued efforts to outlaw unfettered personal spending of war chest money. There was a time, three decades ago, when elected officials could permissably tap unspent campaign funds for personal use after they left office. In 2007, the Department of Justice reported "a dramatic rise in the number of cases in which candidates and campaign fiduciaries steal money that has been contributed to a candidate or political committee for the purpose of electing the candidate or the candidates supported by the political committee," according to the F.E.C. "Congress should amend prohibition of the personal use of campaign funds to extend its reach to all political committees," the commission wrote. formally recommended to Congress that the loophole regarding personal use of leadership PAC money be eliminated, said Julia Queen, an F.E.C.
"The question comes up: What can politicians do with the leftover PAC money, and the answer is pretty much whatever they want." "There's a wide gap, if not a gulf, between what lawmakers can do with regular campaign money versus leadership PAC money," said Dave Levinthal, communications director for the Washington, D.C.-based CRP. Of the 25 members of Congress who have said they are stepping down, 18 have leadership PACs with a combined $850,000, according to CRP analysis.
clearly says campaign committee cash can't be tapped for personal use, there are no such stipulations for certain political action committees, most controversially "leadership PACs" that elected officials can use to support various political causes other than their own. Turns out that despite strict Federal Election Commission rules, Bayh and other exiting elected officials do have ways to keep unspent political contributions.Īccording to the Center for Responsive Politics, there are 25 senators and representatives this year who have announced their retirement and who are collectively sitting on $31 million in authorized campaign committee cash. Among the biggest questions in the immediate aftermath: What would this mean for the Democrats?Īnother big question: What would become of his $13 million campaign war chest? Evan Bayh, D-Ind., dropped a political bombshell in February when he announced he would not seek re-election to another term.
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