Maxine Waters FINED $68K – FEC REACTS

Rep. Maxine Waters’ campaign has been hit with a $68,000 fine for multiple campaign finance violations during the 2020 election cycle, adding to a pattern of financial controversies surrounding the longtime Democratic congresswoman.

At a Glance

  • Rep. Maxine Waters’ campaign committee agreed to pay a $68,000 fine for violating Federal Election Commission rules
  • Violations included inaccurate financial reporting, accepting excessive donations, and making prohibited cash payments
  • The campaign accepted $19,000 in excessive contributions from seven individuals and made $7,000 in prohibited cash disbursements
  • Waters’ campaign has previously faced scrutiny for paying her daughter over $818,000 from campaign funds since 2004
  • The campaign blamed staffing shortages during COVID-19 for the violations and agreed to FEC training

FEC Investigation Reveals Multiple Violations

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) has imposed a substantial $68,000 fine on California Representative Maxine Waters’ campaign committee for multiple violations of campaign finance laws. The investigation found that Citizens for Waters, her campaign committee, failed to maintain accurate financial records during the 2020 election cycle.

According to the FEC findings, the committee did not properly document receipts and disbursements, accepted contributions exceeding legal limits, and engaged in prohibited cash transactions. These violations represent serious breaches of campaign finance regulations designed to ensure transparency in election funding.

The FEC specifically cited the campaign for “failing to accurately report receipts and disbursements in calendar year 2020,” “knowingly accepting excessive contributions,” and “making prohibited cash disbursements.” Waters, who has served in Congress since 1991 and currently holds the position of ranking Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, has had her campaign agree to the fine and additional compliance measures. The unanimous decision by the commission underscores the seriousness of these violations, regardless of the campaign’s claims that they were unintentional errors.

Excessive Contributions and Cash Payment Violations

The investigation revealed that Citizens for Waters accepted excessive contributions totaling $19,000 from seven individuals. Federal election law limits individual contributions to $2,800 per person for each election cycle, a threshold the Waters campaign repeatedly exceeded. The committee also made four prohibited cash disbursements totaling $7,000 to “Get Out The Vote” canvassers. FEC regulations explicitly prohibit cash payments exceeding $100, making these $7,000 in cash disbursements clear violations of established campaign finance rules.

As part of the settlement agreement with the FEC, the Waters campaign has agreed to refund or disgorge the excess contributions. Additionally, the campaign committee has committed to sending its treasurer to an FEC-sponsored training program to prevent similar violations in the future. The campaign has implemented new procedures and retained legal counsel to ensure financial accuracy going forward, tackling what they described as errors rather than intentional wrongdoing.

Pattern of Financial Controversies

This is not the first time Waters’ campaign finances have faced scrutiny. In 2023, reports emerged that Waters’ campaign paid her daughter $192,300 for operating a “slate mailer” operation. More broadly, Waters has faced criticism for paying her daughter over $818,000 from campaign funds since 2004 for producing slate mailers. These payments to immediate family members, while not necessarily illegal, have raised ethical questions about the congresswoman’s campaign spending practices over her long tenure in office.

The campaign has attributed the recent financial errors to limited staff and resources during the COVID-19 pandemic. When approached by media outlets regarding the fine and violations, Waters did not respond to requests for comment. The investigation and subsequent fine were first reported by OpenSecrets, a nonprofit organization that tracks money in politics. While a previous complaint about illegal campaign contributions in 2018 was dismissed by the FEC, as was another complaint regarding Waters’ slate mailer operation, this latest fine represents the most significant financial penalty imposed on her campaign to date.

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