DeMint Received Illegal Contributions
FEC AUDIT UNCOVERS DOZENS OF EXCESSIVE CONTRIBUTIONS FROM 2004 SENATE BID
FITSNews – January 7, 2008 – U.S. Senator Jim DeMint received 42 contributions that exceeded federal campaign limits by a total of $68,106 during his 2004 election cycle, according to an audit of his campaign account conducted earlier this year by the Federal Election Commission.
The contributions represent a mere drop in the bucket of the $9 million that Sen. DeMint spent to defeat Democrat Inez Tenenbaum for the U.S. Senate in 2004, but the amount is still high relative to other campaign accounts. In fact, of the 25 campaigns audited publicly by the FEC during the 2004 election cycle, Sen. DeMint’s campaign ranks fourth in terms of the total dollar amount of excessive funds received. U.S. Senator Mel Martinez (R-Florida) led the way with 186 excessive contributions totalling $313,235.
Surprising as it may be, our only real point in bringing this whole thing up is to highlight how much easier it is to find information on federal candidates’ finances than it is to gather the same information on state legislators. The South Carolina State Ethics Commission posts online data for statewide candidates, but information on individual State House and State Senate campaigns is only available by physically visiting the Commission’s headquarters in Columbia, S.C., and filling out a form. Oh, and copies are fifty cents a page, people. Yowzas!
Comments
By Harden Gervais on January 7th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
If DeMint can’t handle the budgeting at his own campaign, how can we expect him to do so in Congress?
Zing!
By donny deutch on January 7th, 2008 at 10:25 pm
Wow, Harden….that would be a biting commment from a third grader.
This is no big deal. Fitsnews failed to mention that all but $5,000 worth of the contributions could be “redesignated” to make them fall back into alignment of campaign finance laws. The remaining $5,000 was refunded to the donor.
Read the actual audit and you’ll find its nothing more than miscatorization of some contributions. Not a big deal considering the complexities of campaing finance law, the fast pace of a campaign going from primary to runoff, and the fact we’re talking about a campaign that raised and spent over $9 million.
Just like any government audit, they’re going to find something to report to justify their existance.
Fits is right about the state fiance sitiuation. It should be much easier to see who is contributing to our state legislators.
By 67chevy on January 8th, 2008 at 8:27 am
Dear William,
Senator DeMint is traveling the state to support his presidential candidate of choice right now. How many people in his entourage are on the federal payroll do you think?
(not particularly for publication)
Yours from the backseat,
‘67
By Harden Gervais on January 8th, 2008 at 8:31 am
Well, third grade would be a step up, these days.
Trackbacks