The American Spectator : The Spectacle Blog : Campaigning Ended, Spending Continues

The Spectacle Blog

Campaigning Ended, Spending Continues

By Paul Chesser on 12.2.10 @ 4:59PM

Do you check that box on your tax return to dedicate funds to the Presidential campaign? Okay, you probably don’t, but I guess a lot of folks do. Maybe after reading this report from the ABC affiliate in Raleigh, NC, they will think again:

Former presidential candidate John Edwards still has nearly $4 million in the account he set up when he made his 2008 run for the White House.

It includes federal matching money and donations from contributors. An I-Team review of records shows the campaign has not returned those millions to contributors or the federal Presidential Election Campaign Fund.

And, even though he ended his campaign for president nearly three years ago, records show public money still pays the salaries of some on Edwards’ staff, and more is going for lawyers and travel expenses.

That’s at the same time a federal grand jury in Raleigh investigates the Edwards’ 2008 campaign finances.

Records show the campaign is currently spending between $50,000 and $90,000 a month.

You can read on at the link or watch below for more of the ugly details. This ought to inspire a lot more investigations into former candidates who walked away with a lot of money in their campaign funds.

topics:
Election 2008, presidential election, John Edwards

About the Author

Paul Chesser is executive director for the American Tradition Institute and a senior fellow for the Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy Alternatives. The views he expresses do not necessarily reflect the views of these organizations.

http://spectator.org/blog/2010/12/02/campaigning-ended-spending-con

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