Evidence Raises Red Flags of Potential Personal Use of DCCC Funds
Washington, D.C.— October 4, 2021— The non-partisan ethics watchdog, the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT), requested the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) investigate the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and its Chairman Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (NY) for suspect spending that could be in violation of the Federal Election Campaign Act.
According to recent reporting, the DCCC bought an Air France ticket on June 21, 2021, for $813 – just a few weeks before the DCCC's Chairman, Rep. Maloney, took a lavish vacation in France and Italy. Moreover, Rep. Maloney posted photos of the trip from August 8 through August 13, including him attending a wedding in France. "A rep for the DCCC told The Post the Air France ticket was purchased 'to conduct DCCC business with Americans living overseas’ and that they didn't pay for Maloney's trip. The committee, however, declined to offer any specifics about what DCCC business was happening in Europe or who used the plane ticket.”
DCCC funds may not be spent for personal use, which includes “vacations” and may include travel expenses. Further, federal law requires the DCCC to disclose all disbursements made with information about each expense. The disclosure requirement prospectively deters the use of federal funds for illegal purposes and retrospectively can be used to identify the misuse of funds for personal purposes.
"On its face, the timing of the DCCC's purchase of the plane ticket and the Chairman's vacation in the exact location raises obvious red flags of personal use of official funds--and the DCCC's subsequent lack of transparency and explanation only worsens the situation. Because the DCCC has not been forthcoming on the specifics, the FEC should investigate this matter for the potential misuse of funds,” said Kendra Arnold, Executive Director of FACT.
A full copy of the complaint can be found by clicking here.
FACT is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting accountability, ethics, and transparency in government and civic arenas. For more on FACT, visit: http://www.factdc.org/
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