Priorities USA, the largest super PAC backing presumptive Democrat nominee Hillary Clinton, has accepted $200,000 in illegal donations, financial disclosures show.
The illegal donations, first reported by the Hill, show that the PAC accepted two $100,000 donations from Suffolk Construction, a Boston-based construction firm which currently holds two contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense worth nearly $1 million. Federal law prohibits entities holding contracts with the U.S. government from making campaign contributions, in order to prevent so-called “pay-to-play” schemes. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Persian Gulf Sheikhs Gave Bill & Hillary $100 Million [VIDEO])
The PAC features a warning prohibiting federal contractors from making contributions on its donation page. Priorities USA currently has approximately $50 million cash on hand.
Suffolk CEO John Fish has given copiously to national Democrats since the late 90s. Campaign contributions show Fish has made significant contributions to former Senate Banking Committee chairman Sen. Chris Dodd, as well as his House counterpart Rep. Barney Frank. He has also given to President Obama, Sen. Dick Durbin, former Senate majority leader Sen. Tom Daschle, Reps. James McGovern and Joseph Kennedy, and disgraced former Rep. Anthony Weiner.
Some legal experts claim the ban on contractor contributions is unconstitutional. Professor Rick Hasen, a professor at UC Irvine Law School, pointed out on his Election Law Blog that federal courts have not yet determined whether federal contractors have a right to make contributions to super PACs despite the federal contractor ban.
Neither the Clinton campaign nor Priorities USA have commented about the contributions.
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