Maxine Waters Outed for Campaign Finance Violation, Forced to Pay HBy Noah Stanton
Ever get that feeling that some people in Washington D.C. think the rules are just suggestions? You know, like those little white lines on the road are merely there for decoration for some drivers. We all have to follow the rules, pay our taxes, and keep our noses clean.
But for a special few, it seems like “oops, my bad” is an all-access pass when things go sideways, especially when it comes to handling other people’s money. It makes you wonder if they believe they’re playing a whole different game than the rest of us hard-working Americans.
Well, it seems like California Congresswoman Maxine Waters might be one of those who needs a refresher course on the rules. Her campaign just got a slap on the wrist from the Federal Election Commission (FEC) – a $68,000 fine for some rather serious campaign finance oopsie-daisies.
According to The Blaze, the FEC had a few things to say about how “Citizens for Waters,” her 2020 campaign committee, handled its cash:
From ‘The Blaze’:
The Federal Election Commission accused Waters’ 2020 campaign committee, Citizens for Waters, of “failing to accurately report both receipts and disbursements,” “knowingly accepting excessive contributions,” and “making prohibited cash disbursements.”
tThat’s a fancy way of saying they didn’t keep good track of money coming in or going out, took too much money from some people, and spent cash in ways they shouldn’t have. We’re talking big numbers too – like under-reporting over a quarter of a million dollars in money received and another quarter-million in money spent!
Now, when most people get caught with their hand in the cookie jar, they might look a little sheepish. But in the world of D.C. politics, it’s often just another Tuesday. Waters’ campaign attorney, Leilani Beaver, said, “The Committee acknowledges errors were made which were not willful or purposeful.” Their big excuse? They blamed “limited staff availability and resources during the pandemic.”
It’s funny how the pandemic seemed to cause so many “errors” for some, isn’t it? The campaign also “knowingly” took $19,000 more than allowed from seven individuals and made $7,000 in cash payments that were a no-no. They did eventually pay back the extra donations, but only after they got caught. The fine is $68,000, and the campaign treasurer has to go to a special FEC training class. Maybe they’ll learn how to count this time.
If this all sounds a bit familiar when it comes to Maxine Waters, well, your memory isn’t playing tricks on you. This isn’t her first rodeo with questionable money matters. For years, her campaign has been very generous to her own daughter. As The Blaze reported, over about twenty years, Waters’ campaign paid her daughter’s company a whopping $1.2 million for “slate mailer management fees.”
And it seems old habits die hard. Breitbart noted that as recently as 2022, another $8,000 went to her daughter’s company for similar services, pushing that grand total even higher. Back in 2010, Waters even faced an ethics probe over helping a bank tied to her husband, though those charges were eventually dismissed. But where there’s smoke, especially this much smoke, you have to wonder about the fire. It sure looks like a pattern of “family first” when it comes to campaign cash.
So, what does a $68,000 fine really mean for a long-time politician like Maxine Waters, who seems to view campaign finance rules as more of a gentle suggestion? For people who have been in Washington as long as she has, some might say it’s just the cost of doing business. It certainly makes you think about how serious these “errors” are when the penalty feels like a parking ticket to a millionaire.
This sort of thing feeds right into what everyday Americans are tired of: one set of rules for us, and another, much looser set for the political elites. They talk a big game about fairness, but when it’s their turn, the excuses fly. It’s exactly the kind of swampy behavior President Trump has been working to expose and clean up.
It’s a reminder for all of us to keep a close eye on how these elected officials are behaving, especially with money that’s supposed to be for campaigning, not for creative accounting or family payouts. Because if they can’t handle campaign funds honestly, how can we trust them with the country’s checkbook? It seems some Democrats just can’t help themselves when it comes to bending the rules to their benefit.
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