What to Do With Foley’s $2.8 Million

October 3, 2006, 6:38 pm
What to Do With Foley’s $2.8 Million

WSJ's Washington Wire

A new report from the Center for Responsive Politics shows that former Rep. Mark Foley has nearly $2.8 million in his campaign committee. The nonpartisan center, which tracks campaign contributions, also said that Foley’s campaign and political action committee have contributed about $190,000 to more than 100 other Republicans since 1995, and has donated $550,000 to House Republicans’ campaign committee.

The center points out that Foley, whose sexually explicit computer messages to teenage congressional pages prompted his resignation Friday and left Republican leaders trying to contain the fallout, has a number of options when it comes to disbursing the $2.8 million. He could donate it to political party committees on the local, state or national levels, or to candidates, within federal limits. Or it could be returned to the donors or given to charity. Yet another option, according to the center: “Foley could argue to the Federal Election Commission that his remaining cash should go toward his legal bills, which could be substantial as the FBI investigates whether his behavior violates any of the child exploitation laws that Foley championed in Congress.”

While lawmakers can use campaign funds to cover the expenses of holding office, “the connection between Foley’s official duties and his behavior with former pages is tenuous. The FEC has allowed candidates to defend themselves from legal issues that could affect their campaigns, but Foley’s political career is almost certainly over.”

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2006/10/03/what-to-do-with-foleys-28-million/ (subscription)

food, books, clothing, toys, school supplies electricity and gas for winter

from Foley be returned.....and then given to the various organizations on abused children.

Charlie Brown (D), running in the 4th district of California (58% GOP District) has asked this of his opponent, Incumbent REP. Doo-Little do this. Just the fact that Foley got mentioned in tuat campaign is a plus for Brown....who is now in a statistical dead heat with "do"olittle.

Brown on Monday also called for Doolittle to return a donation he received from Mark Foley, the Republican Florida congressman who resigned last week after sexually explicit e-mails he sent to congressional pages were made public.

Doolittle should say what he knew about Foley's actions and return $1,000 he received from him in 2002, Brown said.
http://cbs13.com/local/local_story_275233007.html

So this could be a plus for Dems...and this is the way to do it.

Hell, I heard that Foley was also a Scout leader in the Boy Scouts; so give them a few dollars for mental treatment too!

While ideas like donating it to abused children sound attractive at first glance, I think they're fundamentally unjust - the people who donated that money donated it to be used for political campaigning, and I think it would be unfair to them to use it for anything else.