Elections

Sanders Camp: Hillary ‘Money Laundering’ Story May ‘Make You Angry’

REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Ron Brynaert Freelance Reporter
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The Bernie Sanders campaign sent an email to supporters on Tuesday afternoon during the Indiana Democratic primary suggesting that a story about alleged “money laundering” involving the Hillary Victory Fund may “make you angry.”

On Monday, Politico reported that the joint fundraising committee which includes Hillary for America, the DNC and committees from 32 states and Puerto Rico had raised $61 million dollars, but less than one percent remained in state party coffers.

Hillary Clinton’s website tells contributors that the “first $2,700/$5,000” will go to HFA, the “next $33,400/$15,000” to the DNC, and the rest “will be split equally among the Democratic state parties.”

Last December, NPR warned that this arrangement could allow a lone donor to contribute $700,000 to the Clinton campaign.

Using FEC filings, Politico reported $15.4 million went to the Clinton campaign, $5.7 million to the DNC and $3.8 million went to the states, but 88 percent of the latter “was quickly transferred to the DNC, usually within a day or two, by the Clinton staffer who controls the committee.”

“Some fundraisers who work for state parties predict that the arrangement could actually hurt participating state parties,” Politico claimed. “They worry that participating states that aren’t presidential battlegrounds and lack competitive Senate races could see very little return investment from the DNC or Clinton’s campaign, and are essentially acting as money laundering conduits for them.”

Campaign manager Jim Weaver emailed Sanders supporters Tuesday, “I want to share something with you that is probably going to make you angry, but then I am going to give you an opportunity to do something about it.”

Weaver thanked the “Politico investigation” because the article “said some state party fundraisers believe they are basically acting as “money laundering conduits.”

“Sign our petition calling on the Clinton campaign to stop bending campaign finance rules to their breaking point, and immediately transfer all the money allowable to the state parties,” the email asked supporters twice.

It added, “So, now that we know the Clinton campaign is taking advantage of state parties to skirt fundraising limits on her presidential campaign, it’s time for her to do the right thing and let the state parties keep their fair share of the cash.”