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April 5, 2024

Campaign Finance Roundup: April 5, 2024

Campaign Finance Roundup: April 5, 2024

April 5, 2024
Published By Connor Flotten
Another installment in our series of stories about how our elections are being bought out from under us and all that matters is fundraising and the donor class.

Louisville Metro Council member facing $20,000 in fines for campaign finance violations

From Louisville Public Media:
We’ve all had to deal with late fees. Sometimes you forget to return that library book and have to pay a couple bucks; it happens. Louisville Metro Council Member Donna Purvis has taken that to a bit of an extreme, though, as she is facing more than $20,000 in fines for, among other things, being over 700 days late on a filing that was due in 2020. In response to a request for comment, Purvis responded “Nope.” 

Fair enough, I suppose. Can’t really argue with that. 

Ex-police officer gets 200 hours community service for campaign scheme to help New York City mayor

From The Associated Press:
A former NYPD deputy inspector pled guilty to a misdemeanor conspiracy charge for arranging a straw donor scheme that benefited NYC Mayor Eric Adams’ 2021 campaign. Dwyane Montgomery arranged fundraisers for Adams (that’s not the illegal bit, sadly), and arranged dozens of straw donations to take advantage of NYC’s matching funds, which matches the first $250 a person contributes at 8-to-1. In addition to being sentenced to 200 hours of community service, he is not allowed to host any political fundraisers for a year.

Honestly, not having to deal with fundraising for a year sounds like a dream. Where do I sign up?

Trump’s deals to sell Bibles, sneakers and perfume are unprecedented for a presidential candidate, experts say

From CNBC:
Another example of the power of multitasking: Trump is using his campaign rallies to promote self-branded merch, like Bibles, cologne, and some of the ugliest sneakers I’ve ever seen. It’s unclear whether this is even legal or not, though experts seem to agree that it’s probably allowed. Being able to directly profit off of campaign donations by turning rallies into QVC episodes seems a bit sketchy to me, but I suppose that’s the perk of doing something nobody ever thought to make illegal. 

I’m sorry, but I really can’t get over those sneakers. I don’t even care about the ethical implications of using your presidential campaign to sell shoes; encouraging people to put those things on their feet should be a crime in itself.

Democratic committees are out fundraising GOP committees this election cycle 

From OpenSecrets:
It’s time for another edition of “Which Number Is Bigger?”, the only part of campaign news that seems to matter anymore. Today, The Blue Number Is Bigger, as Democratic committees maintain a solid fundraising advantage over their Republican counterparts. As of filings made in mid-March, the DNC has raised about $154 million, compared to the RNC’s $109.5 million. And that’s not even counting the parties’ House and Senate committees.

Tune in next time to see Which Number Is Bigger!?! 

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Another installment in our series of stories about how our elections are being bought out from under us and all that matters is fundraising and the donor class.