Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day for November 6, 2017
The Number of the Day columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
November 6, 2017: Thirteen members of Congress have placed family members on the campaign payroll.[1]
The practice is legal, according to the House Ethics Manual, if the payments are made for “bona fide, campaign related services.” None of the family members are being paid more than $60,000.
Some critics express concern about the practice because it could be used as a vehicle for campaign donors to directly enrich family members.
According to The Hill, this list includes four who have hired their spouse: Rep. Luis Gutiérrez (D-Ill.), Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.), Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), and Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.).
Additionally, five have children on the payroll. That includes Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas), Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.), Rep. John Duncan Jr. (R-Tenn.), and Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa). King has also hired his daughter-in-law.
Finally, Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.), Rep. Todd Rokita (R-Ind.), and Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) have hired their sister. Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) employs his sister-in-law.
In a business where trust is hard to come by, politicians often feel more comfortable working with family members and close friends. Dana Rohrabacher’s campaign treasurer embezzled more than $250,000 from the campaign treasury over the course of several years. Ken Grubbs, a spokesperson for Rohrabacher, said, “Had Mrs. Rohrabacher — who managed other political campaigns before her marriage to the congressman — been working as treasurer, there would have been no embezzlement.”
Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology.
- November 3, 2017 – 79 percent of Americans find hate speech morally unacceptable
- November 2, 2017 – 55 percent of Americans consider themselves attractive
- November 1, 2017 – 45 percent of Americans want government to do more
- October 31, 2017 – 500 years ago today, Martin Luther sparked a revolution
- October 30, 2017 – 88 percent of benefits from state/local tax deductions go to upper-income Americans
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Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
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