FEC chairwoman: Penalty ‘slashed’ for ex-congressman who used leftover campaign money to lobby

Date
Publication
Roll Call

That outcome comes as the FEC begins cracking down on so-called “zombie campaigns,” pots of campaign donations that live on long after the candidate has vacated office. But the paltry fine shows the limitations of the FEC under its current structure, campaign finance experts say. “Some Commissioners appear reticent to hold former office holders fully accountable for misusing campaign funds,” said Brendan Fischer, an expert at the Campaign Legal Center, the nonprofit watchdog group that filed the complaint against Stearns.

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