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Patricia McKeon
| Patricia Kunz McKeon | ||
 | ||
| Candidate for | ||
| California State Assembly District 38 | ||
| Party | Republican | |
| Prior offices | ||
| None | ||
| Education | ||
| Bachelor's | Some College, Brigham Young University | |
| Personal | ||
| Birthday | 10/23/1942 | |
| Place of birth | Arcadia, California | |
| Profession | Lobbyist, Campaign Treasurer | |
| Religion | Mormon | |
| Websites | ||
| Personal website | ||
| Campaign website | ||
 | ||
Contents |
Background
McKeon was born in Arcadia in 1942. After dropping out of Brigham Young University to marry her husband Buck in 1962,[4] they moved to Santa Clarita. She raised six children, served on a local PTA, and volunteered with a local Boy Scouts troop. After her husband was elected to Santa Clarita City mayor she was chosen to replace him as a board member for Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital.
Upon her husband's election to the U.S. Congress in 1992, she became active working with his campaign committee as well as working in local and national politics.
In 1999 McKeon worked as a lobbyist for the firm Tongour & Scott.[5] She was paid $40,000[6] for a few months of work. She was lobbying for CSX Corporation.
She has also been a lobbyist for AT&T.[7]
Elections
2012
McKeon ran in the 2012 election for California Assembly District 38. She was eliminated in the blanket primary on June 5, 2012.[8][9]
| California State Assembly, District 38 Blanket Primary, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |
 Edward Headington |
31.1% | 19,608 | |
| Republican | Patricia McKeon | 22.2% | 14,025 | |
| Republican | Paul Strickland | 14.6% | 9,182 | |
| Republican | Scott Wilk |
32.1% | 20,230 | |
| Total Votes | 63,045 | |||
Controversies
Salary from husband's campaign
McKeon currently receives a $78,000/year salary from her husband's campaign committee. As a congressman her husband Buck McKeon is prohibited from personally profiting from his campaign contributions. However there is no such prohibition against a spouse receiving such payments. Congressman McKeon states that "Patricia gets paid by the campaign as a senior staff member for handling multiple critical elements."[10] Since 2007 she has received over $264,000, including a bonus of $4,600 in January of 2007. The payments made from the campaign to Patricia McKeon over this time period were the highest among congressional representatives who paid family members.[11]
Countrywide VIP Loan
Her husband, Buck McKeon, was recently named as having potentially received favorable terms on a 1999 home loan from Countrywide because of his position in congress[12]. Under congressional rules this could be determined to be a gift and therefore illegal. As treasurer of his campaign committee Patricia McKeon accepted donations from Countrywide PAC[13], the political action committee of Countrywide, totaling $3,500[14] and an additional $13,500[15] to a PAC, 21st Century PAC controlled by the McKeons[16].
Federal Lobbyist Contributions
Some commentators have suggested that campaign contributions to Patricia McKeon may be directly related to her husband's position as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Among these contributions was $1,000 from a federal lobbyist with ties to both the pharmaceutical and defense industries. This donation was made within one day of a $2,500 maximum donation to Buck McKeon's congressional re-election campaign.[17]
Campaign donors
2012
So far in 2012, McKeon has raised $127,884.00 in contributions. [18]
Of that $127,884, she gave herself a personal loan of $40,000, raised $15,000 in General Election funds that can only be spent if she wins a June primary, and was given $12,000 from her husband's various federal committees.[19] When these amounts are taken into account she only raised about $60,000.
Her largest contributors were:
| Donor | Amount |
|---|---|
| Personal Loans & Other Controlled Committees | $51,700 |
| Defense Industry | $34,445 |
| Federal Lobbyists & Political Committees | $19,400 |
| Education & Financial | $2,600 |
McKeon's husband, Buck, is currently the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee that oversees defense spending. He was formally the chairman of the Sub-committee on Education & Finance. Many of the donations received by Patricia overlap donations received by one of her husbands controlled committees. It has been speculated that these donations are an attempt to circumvent campaign finance law.[20][21]
Removing her personal loans and contributions to her campaign McKeon raised just $8,400 from with in her own district. She raised over 3 times more from the DC metropolitan area then she did from her own district.
Personal
McKeon and her husband Buck McKeon reside in Valencia, California. They are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They have six children: Tamara McKeon Morrison, Howard D. McKeon, John M. McKeon, Kimberly McKeon Kosorok, David O. McKeon and Tricia McKeon Logan; and 31 grandchildren.
See also
External links
References
- ↑ Holt, Jim (8 September 2011). "McKeon focuses on fundraising".
- ↑ Archuleta, Mark (26 August 2011). "Mckeon a brand name in Assembly race", KHTS (AM).
- ↑ "Howard P. McKeon Campaign Expenditures". OpenSecrets.org. http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/expendetail.php?cid=N00006882&cycle=2010&name=Patricia%20Mckeon. Retrieved on 11 November 2011.
- ↑ Prugh, Jeff (10 November 1992). "McKeon to Saddle Up for DC".
- ↑ "Patricia McKeon Lobbying Influence". Influence Explorer. http://influenceexplorer.com/individual/patricia-mckeon/c39152e5d7b849aea53af40c504aae51. Retrieved on 15 November 2011.
- ↑ "Query the Lobbyist database". United State Senate Office of Public Records. http://soprweb.senate.gov/index.cfm?event=choosefields. Retrieved on 15 November 2011.
- ↑ Morris, Dick; Eileen Mcgann (June 2007). Outrage. Harper Collins, 130. ISBN 0061195405.
- ↑ California Secretary of State, 2012 official candidate list
- ↑ California Secretary of State "Primary Results" June 5, 2012
- ↑ Knot, Alex (26 July 2011). "House Spouses Make Good Money From Campaigns", Roll Call.
- ↑ Kelley, Matt (17 June 2007). "Lawmakers used campaign funds to pay relatives", USA Today.
- ↑ Emshwiller, John (14 January 2012). "Lawmakers Tied to VIP Loan Program", The Wall Street Journal.
- ↑ "FEC Disclosure Search - Countrywide PAC". Federal Election Commission. http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/com_supopp/C00282731/.
- ↑ "FEC Disclosure Search - 21st Century PAC". Federal Election Commission. http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/com_rcvd/C00315747/.
- ↑ "FEC Disclosure Search - 21st Century PAC". Federal Election Commission. http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/com_rcvd/C00258244/.
- ↑ "21st Century PAC - Congressman Buck McKeon". 21st Century PAC. http://www.21stcenturypac.com/.
- ↑ Salon, "D.C. lobbyist aids Rep. McKeon’s wife," January 30, 2012
- ↑ "Secretary of State Campaign Filings". http://cal-access.sos.ca.gov/Campaign/Candidates/Detail.aspx?id=1341425&session=2011.
- ↑ "Secretary of State Campaign Filings". http://cal-access.sos.ca.gov/Campaign/Committees/Detail.aspx?id=1341424&session=2011&view=receive.
- ↑ Fang, Lee (Feb 1, 2012). "Pentagon contractors flock to Mrs. McKeon".
- ↑ Goldmacher, Shane (Feb 2, 2012). "Defense Buoys State Campaign of McKeon's Wife".
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