{"id":2394911,"date":"2025-01-24T16:13:02","date_gmt":"2025-01-24T21:13:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bernie-sanders-uses-campaign-cash-to-fund-family-charity-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2025-01-24T16:15:57","modified_gmt":"2025-01-24T21:15:57","slug":"bernie-sanders-uses-campaign-cash-to-fund-family-charity-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bernie-sanders-uses-campaign-cash-to-fund-family-charity-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Bernie Sanders uses campaign cash to fund family charity &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fbernie-sanders-uses-campaign-cash-to-fund-family-charity-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2394911&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Senator Bernie Sanders has faced scrutiny for\u2062 redirecting significant amounts of his campaign funds\u2014approximately $775,000\u2014from his \u2062presidential and senatorial campaigns to the Sanders Institute, a nonprofit institution run by his wife and\u200d stepson.\u2063 This financial decision has raised questions about potential conflicts\u2064 of interest, especially as the organization temporarily closed\u200c during his second presidential campaign to avoid any appearance of impropriety.<\/p>\n<p>The contributions from\u2064 Sanders&#8217;\u200c campaigns significantly impacted the financial health of \u2063the Sanders Institute. For instance, in 2021, roughly half\u200b of the organization&#8217;s \u200creported\u200d donations of \u200b$716,618 came directly from Sanders&#8217;\u2064 campaign. Notably, his stepson, David Driscoll, was compensated $120,000 as executive director of the Institute in 2023, a figure that constituted a significant portion of the \u200cnonprofit&#8217;s \u200cexpenditures.<\/p>\n<p>Recent disclosures indicated \u200bcontinued financial transfers\u200d from\u200d Sanders&#8217; Senate\u2063 campaign \u2062to the Institute, raising\u2062 further concerns about the use of campaign resources. While the Federal Election Commission prohibits using campaign funds for personal use,charitable contributions are permissible as long as no family member receives compensation \u200cfrom the charity until all donated funds have been expended.<\/p>\n<p>Despite\u200d criticisms\u2064 relating to campaign fundraising practices and prior comments \u200cabout conflicts of interest, \u200bSanders has maintained his involvement in running\u2062 for office, with plans to seek reelection in 2030. The mission\u200d of \u200dthe Sanders Institute focuses on progressive solutions to social \u200dand \u2064economic issues,\u200b hosting prominent progressive figures\u200b and events.Though, the organization did not \u200brespond to requests for comment \u2063regarding its\u2064 financing and operations.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Bernie Sanders uses campaign dollars to bankroll family charity<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1924946\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) diverted hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign funds to the Sanders Institute, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mike-pences-group-launches-10-million-ad-campaign-to-unseat-over-a-dozen-house-democrats\/\" title=\"Mike Pence\u2019s Group Launches  Million Ad Campaign to Unseat Over a Dozen House Democrats\">nonprofit organization run<\/a> by his wife and stepson. The charity temporarily <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/9e4794da89ab448399f3ff1457464d1b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">shut down<\/a> during the senator&rsquo;s second presidential run &ldquo;so there could not even be an appearance of impropriety.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Between April 2021 and November 2024, Sanders directed his presidential and senatorial campaign accounts to deposit $775,000 into the Sanders Institute, campaign finance records <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fec.gov\/data\/disbursements\/?data_type=processed&amp;recipient_name=THE+SANDERS+INSTITUTE&amp;max_date=12%2F31%2F2025&amp;disbursement_description=CHARITABLE+\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">show<\/a>. The arrangement has been a financial windfall for Sanders&rsquo;s stepson, David Driscoll, who, <a href=\"https:\/\/projects.propublica.org\/nonprofits\/organizations\/813250230\/202423209349327217\/full\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">according to<\/a> tax disclosures, earned $120,000 working as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wisconsin-privacy-law-conflicts-with-duty-to-prevent-illegal-voting\/\" title=\"Wisconsin Privacy Law Conflicts With Duty To Prevent Illegal Voting\">nonprofit organization&#038;rsquo<\/a>;s executive director in 2023. Tax documents do not disclose how much <a href=\"https:\/\/sandersinstitute.org\/fellows\/dr-jane-omeara-sanders\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Jane O&rsquo;Meara Sanders<\/a>, the senator&rsquo;s wife, earns as a fellow at the nonprofit organization.<\/p>\n<p>The contributions from the senator&rsquo;s campaigns aren&rsquo;t just a drop in the bucket for his family&rsquo;s foundation. In 2021, for instance, the Sanders Institute <a href=\"https:\/\/projects.propublica.org\/nonprofits\/organizations\/813250230\/202233199349329578\/full\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">reported<\/a> $716,618 in contributions. Roughly half that, $350,000, came from the senator&rsquo;s shuttering presidential campaign. In 2023, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/after-taking-millions-from-corporate-pacs-maloney-wants-big-corporate-money-out-of-politics\/\" title=\"After Taking Millions from Corporate PACs, Maloney Wants \u2018Big Corporate Money Out of Politics\u2019\">campaign finance records show<\/a> that his Senate campaign account sent well over $200,000 to the Sanders Institute, which reported just $228,000 in donation revenue that year. Moreover, Driscoll&rsquo;s compensation accounted for nearly a third of the Sanders Institute&rsquo;s expenditures in 2023.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) speaks before President Joe Biden arrives to deliver remarks on lowering the cost of prescription drugs at NHTI Concord Community College, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, in Concord, New Hampshire. (AP Photo\/Steven Senne)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The senator&rsquo;s use of campaign funds to keep his family charity running shows no signs of slowing down, as recently released disclosures indicate that his Senate campaign sent $150,000 to the Sanders Institute on Nov. 12, 2024. The flow of cash into the senator&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">campaign coffers isn&#038;rsquo<\/a>;t set to slow down either, as he <a href=\"https:\/\/docquery.fec.gov\/pdf\/985\/202501209747628985\/202501209747628985.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">filed<\/a> to run for reelection in 2030 on Monday. He will be 89 years old at the time of his next election.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Using campaign funds for &ldquo;personal use&rdquo; is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fec.gov\/help-candidates-and-committees\/making-disbursements\/personal-use\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">prohibited<\/a> by the Federal Election Commission. Contributions to charities are not considered personal use &ldquo;as long as neither the candidate nor any member of the candidate&rsquo;s family receives compensation from the charitable organization before it has expended the entire amount donated,&rdquo; according to the commission. Funds donated from a campaign to a charity must also have &ldquo;been used for purposes that do not personally benefit the candidate.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>A spokesperson for the charity said the funds donated by the campaign in 2021 would not be used to pay the salaries or benefits of the senator&rsquo;s family members, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vermontpublic.org\/vpr-news\/2021-07-08\/bernie-sanders-campaign-makes-350-000-donation-to-relaunch-sanders-institute\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">according<\/a> to local media.&nbsp;It is unclear if that policy is still in place.<\/p>\n<p>The Vermont senator was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/blogs\/2016-dem-primary-live-updates-and-results\/2016\/06\/sanders-clinton-foundation-223915\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">critical<\/a> of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton&rsquo;s relationship with the Clinton Foundation during the 2016 Democratic presidential primary, arguing that it would have opened her up to foreign and corporate influence if she was elected president. The senator&rsquo;s personal wealth has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestreet.com\/lifestyle\/bernie-sanders-net-worth-14678955\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">exploded<\/a> since his 2016 presidential run, with book advances and royalties propelling his net worth to around $3 million.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The Sanders Institute&rsquo;s mission statement <a href=\"https:\/\/sandersinstitute.org\/about\/mission-statement\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">asserts<\/a> that it exists to engage &ldquo;individuals, organizations and the media in the pursuit of progressive solutions to economic, environmental, racial, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/5-virtue-signaling-corporations-trying-to-prove-their-wokeness\/\" title=\"5 Virtue Signaling Corporations Trying To Prove Their \u2018Wokeness\u2019\">social justice issues<\/a>.&rdquo; <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Alongside hosting summits where left-of-center policy items are discussed, the organization also hosts an array of notable progressives as <a href=\"https:\/\/sandersinstitute.org\/about\/fellows\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">fellows<\/a>. Among them are Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), liberal economist Robert Reich, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), professor Cornel West, and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA).<\/p>\n<p>Sanders and his family&rsquo;s charity did not respond to the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>&rsquo;s requests for comment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1924946\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1924946\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Bernie Sanders channels campaign funds to family charity<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":894,"featured_media":2394912,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Sanders-.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[32175,33926,49180,32603,32076],"class_list":["post-2394911","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-bernie-sanders","tag-campaign-finance","tag-family-charity","tag-political-news","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Sanders-.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2394911","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/894"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2394911"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2394911\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2394915,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2394911\/revisions\/2394915"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2394912"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2394911"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2394911"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2394911"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}