The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT), a nonpartisan ethics watchdog group, has filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) against Rep. Gwen Moore, D-W.I., alleging misuse of her leadership PAC funds — and the mainstream media completely ignored the scandal.
The complaint, announced Tuesday, accuses Moore of operating what FACT describes as a “scam PAC” that potentially violates federal election laws.
FACT’s complaint centers on Moore’s Giving Willingly Empowering Nationally (GWEN) PAC, which the watchdog claims is not fulfilling its primary purpose of supporting political candidates and causes.
According to the watchdog’s analysis, for the 2024 election cycle, approximately 79% of GWEN PAC’s spending has gone towards operating expenditures — and a stunning 95% of expenditures were directed to purposes other than contributions to political committees or organizations.
“The law only allows House Members to operate two kinds of organizations—and a scam PAC is not one of them. There should be no question that when 95% of a PAC’s spending is not on its legally required purpose, it qualifies as a scam PAC,” Kendra Arnold, Executive Director of FACT, said in a statement.
The complaint details specific concerns about GWEN PAC’s shady spending patterns.
For instance, out of $147,788.92 raised in the last two quarters of 2023 and the first quarter of 2024, only $4,500 was made in political contributions.
The rest was spent on various operating expenses, including:
- $53,150.00 on consulting services
- $11,727.13 on office supplies
- $9,279.00 on catering
- $8,033.37 on hotels
- $8,934.26 on airlines
FACT’s complaint also notes that some of these expenses, such as stays at the luxury Lodge at Sonoma Resort in California, seem completely unrelated to Moore’s Wisconsin district.
The watchdog group argues that federal law does not authorize candidates or office holders to operate such “scam PACs,” and has called for the FEC to investigate the serious allegations.
If campaign finance laws are found to have been broken, FACT is requesting that the FEC hold Rep. Moore accountable.
This is not the first time Moore’s GWEN PAC has faced ethics complaints. FACT previously listed Moore as one of the top ethics violators of the year in December 2023, noting that since its inception, only 22% of GWEN PAC’s overall spending had gone towards political candidates and committees.
Rep. Moore, who has represented Wisconsin’s 4th Congressional District since 2004, has not yet publicly responded to these allegations. Her district is considered a “Safe” or “Solid Democratic” seat.
As this complaint moves forward, it raises broader questions about the oversight and regulation of leadership PACs, and the fine line between legitimate political fundraising and potential misuse of campaign funds.