Hillary Super PAC Took $200K in Illegal Donations

Federal contractors cannot donate to a political campaign.

6.30.2016

Priorities USA, a Hillary Clinton Super PAC accepted $200k in illegal donationsfrom a federal contractor. The super PAC "received two $100,000 checks last year from Boston-based Suffolk Construction Company, records show."

There’s a long-standing ban on federal contractors donating to political campaigns, but the rule is often ignored because a divided Federal Election Commission had done little to enforce it, according to The Hill, which first reported the story on the pro-Clinton super PAC donation.

Priorities USA has raised $88 million so far this cycle to help elect presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Clinton.

The super PAC had no comment on the donations.

Other super PACs have had similar problems.

The Hill found 14 federal contractors had contributed a total of $173,250 to Right to Rise, the pro-Bush group. Two contractors also funneled money to a pro-Marco Rubio group, Conservative Solutions PAC.

One federal contractor, a Florida utility company, defended the $44,000 gift to the pro-Bush PAC last year. “We believe Gulf Power’s right to make the contribution in question is constitutionally protected,” Gulf Power spokesman Jeff Rogers said.

A super PAC supporting Mitt Romney, Restore Our Future, also accepted donations from at least five federal contractors amounting to $890,000, the Los Angeles Times found in 2012.

Priorities USA has been attacking Clinton opponent Donald Trump with ads, most recently making a $1.1 million ad buy.