$586,000 in Political Donations Made Since 2009…by 32 Dead People

Wednesday, August 07, 2013
Bob Perry

More than 30 people managed to contribute to political campaigns from beyond the grave since 2009, according to USA Today.

 

The newspaper reviewed campaign reports filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and discovered 32 contributors listed as “deceased” who gave more than $586,000 to congressional and presidential candidates and political parties since January 1, 2009.

 

The dead included Bob Perry, a Houston homebuilder and major Republican donor who contributed $100,000 to a super PAC supporting the reelection of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky).

 

The check was received on June 3—more than seven weeks after Perry died on April 13.

 

Officials with the super PAC, Kentuckians for Strong Leadership, said a computer error had resulted in the wrong date being listed on the FEC report. They planned to file an amended report showing the money was received the day before Perry’s death.

 

Of the $586,000 in contributions, the largest amount went to the Democratic National Committee, which received more than $245,000 in “dead money.”

 

In second place, the Libertarian Party received $163,200, followed by the Green Party ($96,329), the Obama Victory Fund ($31,203) and the National Committee for Effective Congress ($25,000), a pro-Democrat PAC.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

 

To Learn More:

Dead People Gave Nearly $600K to Campaigns since 2009 (by Fredreka Schouten and Christopher Schnaars, USA Today)

Super PAC Supporting Mitch McConnell Snags $1.2 million in 6 months, Mostly Outside Kentucky (by Tom Loftus, Louisville Courier-Journal)

USDA Paid $36 Million in Aid Money to Dead Farmers for Four Years (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)       

Social Security Has Paid Millions of Dollars to 1,760 Dead People Since 2008 (by Noel Brinkerhoff and David Wallechinsky, AllGov)

Obama Orders Agencies to Stop Paying Dead People (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)

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