by Frank Holmes, reporter
Yet another national Democratic leader and potential presidential contender has been caught transferring tens of thousands of dollars to his relatives in a legally dubious manner… and he’s rated one of the most popular politicians in America.
A new report has caught Bernie Sanders, Vermont’s socialist senator and two-time Democratic presidential hopeful, giving a relative a hefty amount of his campaign funds.
On August 8, Bernie Sanders’ campaign sent $75,000 to the senator’s “progressive” think tank, the Sanders Institute, which employs his wife and stepson.
That is significant, because it means Sanders gave his family’s institute $75,000 of the $500,000 that individuals donated to his 2024 Senate re-election campaign, according to figures reported on the campaign’s most recently quarterly report to the Federal Election Commission.
That means 15 percent of all individual campaign donations raised between July 1 and September 30 went to his “institute”…and his family.
Sanders’ wife, Jane O’Meara Sanders, established the Sanders Institute after she got the boot as president of Burlington College, which shut down shortly afterwards.. In addition to Mrs. Sanders, the family institute employs her son, David Driscoll…and it appears they’re cashing in.
The Sanders Institute spent 36% of its total annual revenue on wages ($257,000 of the $717,000 reported on its 2021 tax forms).
Critics say Sanders’ fiscal family follies skirted, or may violated, the law.
“Obviously, a senator is not allowed to use his campaign to simply transfer large sums of money to family members – regardless of the route the dollars take,” Kendra Arnold, executive director of the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust,(FACT) told Fox News.
“Legally the issue hinges on whether the salaries were paid for bona fide services at fair market value ,” Arnold continued. She explained that “if the nonprofit and its executive director are truly producing work and actually earning the money, it is not illegal,” although the convenient financial relationship would still be “frowned upon.”
“On the other hand, if nothing or very little is being done to earn the money legitimately, then it is highly likely a serious campaign finance violation has taken place,” Arnold said.
Most conservatives said they would accept no excuses from the Senate’s wealthiest socialist.
“Non-Profits are the tool politicians use to convert special interest money to personal use. It would be illegal to do that with campaign funds and it should be illegal to do it by laundering it through non-profits,” conservative lawyer Bob Becker pointed out.
Non-Profits are the tool politicians use to convert special interest money to personal use. It would be illegal to do that with campaign funds and it should be illegal to do it by laundering it through non-profits.https://t.co/rfG1aYNIgI
— Bob Becker (@Bob_916) October 23, 2023
“I’m not saying @SenSanders is putting campaign funds into his wife’s pocket, but I’m not NOT saying that either,” said conservative activist and Ron DeSantis supporter Dan Backer.
I’m not saying @SenSanders is putting campaign funds into his wife’s pocket, but I’m not NOT saying that either.
If so, he’s definitely got bigger balls than #crookedCori, she only slid a few grand a pop to her hubby.
— Dan Backer (@DanBackerEsq) October 26, 2023
Naturally, the Sanders senate campaign refused to comment on the brewing scandal.
Despite the scandal, Bernie Sanders had the highest favorability rating of any of the 23 possible 2024 presidential candidates in a USA Today/Ipsos poll released last year.
As American trust in Congress erodes, investigations prove Sanders is far from the only congressman apparently channeling funds to his own flesh-and-blood.
Another socialist, Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., paid her husband, Cortney Merritts, $12,850 in the latest quarter, according to her FEC filings.
Several previous checks to the Squad member’s husband claimed he acted as security, even though he’s not a licensed security guard.
Of course, Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., has funneled more than $1.1 million to her daughter over the years—and probably close to $2 million to her family members overall.
Waters produces “slate mailers,” which list the names of candidates Waters supports in the election—and the candidates have to pay to be included…something that seems dangerously close to buying her endorsement.
But all Democrats pale in comparison to President Joe Biden, who has had at least nine members of his family benefit from overseas business deals during the time he was vice president, or before he launched his 2020 presidential campaign.
Biden family members who had laughed all the way to the bank include Hunter Biden and his lover, who is his brother Beau’s widow. Other Biden beneficiaries include brothers Frank Biden, James Biden, and sister-in-law Sara Biden, as well as multiple grandchildren, according to reports produced by the House Oversight and Accountability Committee.
Joe Biden reportedly personally benefited from a $10 million pay-off from the CEO of Burisma Holdings, the Ukrainian energy company that paid First Son Hunter to “serve” on its board.
What is is with Democratic politicians using political funds to enrich their family members?
Frank Holmes is a veteran journalist and an outspoken conservative that talks about the news that was in his weekly article, “On The Holmes Front.”