By The FirstA new report from Fox News is shedding more light on the financial relationship between Maxine Waters and her family, with data showing the Congresswoman has paid out a total of $1.2 million to her daughter with campaign cash.
“Karen Waters, who has been organizing slate-mailing operations to bolster her mother’s re-election for nearly two decades, and her company, Progressive Connections, have received more than $1.2 million since 2003 for campaign services, including ‘slate mailer management’ fees and ‘campaign managing services,’” reports Fox News.
From Fox:
A “Citizens for Waters” campaign committee filing from earlier this week shows that the younger Waters received $24,000 from the committee between January and March 2022.
Slate-mailing is an uncommon practice in federal elections, where a consulting firm is hired to create a pamphlet of sorts that contains a list of candidates or policy measures, and advises voters how to cast their ballots.
Rep. Waters was reportedly the only federal politician to use a slate-mailer operation during the 2020 general election.
Both Democrats and Republicans have paid relatives with campaign contributions over the years. While it’s legal for federal lawmakers to employ family members on campaigns, the practice is generally frowned upon by ethics experts.
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., paid out nearly $3 million to her husband Tim Mynett’s political consulting firm, the E Street Group, over several years.
The E Street Group’s biggest client was Omar’s campaign, which supplied the business with nearly 80 percent of all its cash from federal committees, before ceasing the payments after they came under scrutiny.
