October 24, 2007

Using kids to bypass campaign finance law.

WaPo has an exposé. Including this:
A supporter of former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney (R), Susan Henken of Dover, Mass., wrote her own $2,300 check, and her 13-year-old son, Samuel, and 15-year-old daughter, Julia, each wrote $2,300 checks, for example. Samuel used money from his bar mitzvah and money he earned "dog sitting," and Julia used babysitting money to make the contributions, their mother said. "My children like to donate to a lot of causes. That's just how it is in my house," Henken said.
Nice to see someone raising her kids to be all high-minded and generous. Because, you know, in some families, people cheat and lie.

10 comments:

no one said...

I hope that Samuel is reporting his dog sitting income to the IRS. His income must be substantial if he can afford such a generous campaign contribution.

Ron said...

if my dead uncle was an extra on Six Feet Under can he still contribute his royalty check too?

hdhouse said...

ron...of course. he can also vote in some states so don't forget that option.

George M. Spencer said...

Re: Parents cheating, lying...Business Week ran a long profile a few weeks ago on college entrance consultants...

Spent $15K and up and someone will...

Edit the 8th and 9th drafts of your child's college essay...

Tell you what his hobbies should be

Control your vacations...

And even..

Tell you child to take photos of homeless people so that he can put on an exhibition to show caring he is...

Randy said...

I wonder if she'd say that under oath. I also wonder if she is going to have to say that under oath some day soon.

LRalston said...

As Campaigns Chafe at Limits, Donors Might Be in Diapers

By Matthew Mosk
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, October 24, 2007; A06

Elrick Williams's toddler niece Carlyn may be one of the youngest contributors to this year's presidential campaign. The 2-year-old gave $2,300 to Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).

So did her sister and brother, Imara, 13, and Ishmael, 9, and her cousins Chan and Alexis, both 13. Altogether, according to newly released campaign finance reports, the extended family of Williams, a wealthy Chicago financier, handed over nearly a dozen checks in March for the maximum allowed under federal law to Obama.

Such campaign donations from young children would almost certainly run afoul of campaign finance regulations, several campaign lawyers said.

Joan said...

These stories, along with the horror stories about HRC's Chinese busboy contributions (I'm still astonished it was the that LA Times wrote that up), reveal the idiocy of the "campaign finance reform."

We need a system that allows unlimited donations, but requires full disclosure, 100%, no exceptions. The technology is there to support it. Why is this so difficult?

JohnAnnArbor said...

What Joan said. Unlimited, with disclosure.

paul a'barge said...

I'll wake up in the middle of the night worrying about this immediately after the Liberal MSM thoroughly cover the Asian contribution scandal around Hillary.

Somebody wake me what that happens so I can recalibrate the Give-a-Crap Meter.

Oberon said...

In 1993, I was 13 years old. The Better Way Club (Dave Obey's campaign contribution Club) was going to host a $500 per event in the Fall. It included meeting and, as I later found out, having discussions with the First Lady. I spent a lot of time that summer mowing lawns to earn the money to go with my parents. It might not be $2,100, but I bet inflation makes it about $1,000+ now. My point - this isn't exactly inconceivable. The fact that the woman is so open about it leads me to beleive it has at least a modicum of truth to it.