Maxine Waters Caught Funneling Over $1 Million in Campaign Cash to Daughter
Democrat congresswoman gave Karen Waters $1.13M in campaign funds
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Controversial Democrat Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) has been caught funneling over $1 million in campaign cash to her daughter, a financial paper trail has revealed.
Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings show Karen Waters, daughter of the California lawmaker, took home $1.13 million from the campaign coffers.
The payments were allegedly for providing various “services” for her mother’s campaign since 2003.
Most of the cash is for her role in running a slate-mailer operation.
The scheme involves California lawmakers giving money to Waters’ campaign in exchange for mailers bearing her apparent endorsement.
The mailers have become increasingly lucrative for the younger Waters over the years.
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During the 2020 cycle, her payments hit a high of $240,000, according to the Washington Free Beacon.
That’s significantly more than the $90,000 her firm, Progressive Connections, took in during the 2006 election cycle.
The Federal Election Commission gave Waters the green light for the mailer operation in 2004.
While slate mailers are commonplace in states like California and Oregon, the practice is extremely rare at the federal level.
In fact, Waters appears to be the only federal politician to use a slate-mailer operation.
As such, the arrangement between her and her daughter has led to complaints from watchdog groups.
The FEC has been called on to audit the campaign over the concerns.
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Many prominent California politicians have paid to be featured on the mailers.
Kamala Harris twice shelled out tens of thousands from her campaigns for a spot on the mailers.
California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) and former Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) have likewise dished out cash for Waters’ support.
The practice has received criticism from local media.
”While some of these mailers reflect the earnest political values of the organizations that put them together, many are pay-to-play money-makers that blur the line between endorsement, paid advertisement, and extortion,” CalMatters wrote last year.
Waters’ campaign has yet to comment on the findings.
