‘Monuments to me’: How Politicians use Donors’ Leftover 'Zombie' Cash to buy Themselves Legacies
Mark Alesia, investigative reporter for Raw Story, took an in-depth look at surplus campaign money, higher ed, and burnishing political legacies claiming bipartisan and bicameral self-entitlement for everyone in Congress.
John Pelissero, a government ethics expert from the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University, said the biggest ethical issue is if politicians are seen as using campaign funds not to win elected office or advance a political agenda, but “to burnish their legacy and reputation.”
“The donors didn’t intend, when they gave to the campaign, for it to be used for purposes outside the campaign. I don’t think any of these politicians spend much time thinking about whether donors would object to the mission of the recipient.”
John Pelissero, senior scholar, government ethics, quoted by Raw Story. (paywall)