{"id":2613760,"date":"2026-06-13T12:36:02","date_gmt":"2026-06-13T16:36:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/janeese-lewis-george-campaign-funnels-secret-payouts-through-local-union\/"},"modified":"2026-06-13T12:36:02","modified_gmt":"2026-06-13T16:36:02","slug":"janeese-lewis-george-campaign-funnels-secret-payouts-through-local-union","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/janeese-lewis-george-campaign-funnels-secret-payouts-through-local-union\/","title":{"rendered":"Janeese Lewis George campaign funnels secret payouts through local union"},"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\">20<\/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%2Fjaneese-lewis-george-campaign-funnels-secret-payouts-through-local-union%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=2613760&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 class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/washington-dc\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"260\">Washington, D.C.,<\/a> Office of Campaign Finance has concluded that mayoral candidate Janeese Lewis George\u2019s campaign coordinated with <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/labor-unions\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"192\">labor unions<\/a> and an independent expenditure committee supporting her candidacy, according to findings released just days before voters head to the polls in the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/democratic\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1964\">Democratic<\/a> primary.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The findings stem from a complaint filed in April that alleged improper coordination between Lewis George\u2019s campaign, labor organizations including UNITE HERE Local 25 and SEIU 32BJ, Workers Vote, and Safe &#038; Affordable DC, a political committee that has spent more than $1 million backing her candidacy. While the report was finished on June 6, it was released on June 12 after business hours on a Friday night.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4605570\/ohio-photo-id-mail-in-ballots-2027\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Ohio adds photo ID requirement for mail-in ballots in 2027<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4602240\/democratic-establishment-mcduffie-dc-mayor-union-lewis-george\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Democratic establishment backs McDuffie for DC mayor, while unions bolster Lewis George<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/entertainment\/4602344\/washington-post-scrutiny-trump-tone-shift\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>From resistance to reset? Washington Post faces scrutiny over Trump tone shift: Guy Benson<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The findings come as Lewis George competes in a closely watched ranked choice Democratic primary scheduled for June 16. Despite <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4596705\/janeese-lewis-george-out-of-line-dc-voters-youth-curfew-poll\/\">polling<\/a> indicating a double-digit lead for Lewis George, her principal rival, D.C. Councilman Kenyan McDuffie is expected to benefit from second-choice votes in the ranked choice contest.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After reviewing campaign finance records, audit materials, responses from the parties involved, and supporting documentation, the Office of Campaign Finance\u2019s General Counsel determined that there was sufficient evidence to declare that there was coordination among the campaign, the unions, and the independent expenditure committee.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under D.C. campaign finance law, independent expenditure committees are required to operate independently from the candidates they support. The Office of Campaign Finance found that overlapping personnel, shared resources, common office space, and an inadequate firewall policy created a presumption of coordination that the parties failed to rebut.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The report points to five union employees who were \u201cleased\u201d to the Lewis George campaign while remaining on union payrolls. Investigators also cited the shared office address used by Safe &#038; Affordable DC and UNITE HERE Local 25, a shared public relations staffer, and financial ties between the organizations.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to the findings, Safe &#038; Affordable DC received $100,000 contributions from both unions on March 2 before spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on advertisements supporting Lewis George. The report states that the committee ultimately spent more than $1 million in support of the campaign.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Investigators also concluded that a firewall policy presented by the organizations was insufficient to prevent the flow of information between campaign staff and groups making independent expenditures. The report described the firewall as unsigned, undated, and lacking meaningful enforcement mechanisms, concluding that it was incapable of preventing coordination.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Office of the General Counsel recommended that the Office of Campaign Finance impose $16,000 in penalties against Lewis George, campaign treasurer Julia Anne Howell, and the Janeese for DC Fair Elections Committee. It also recommended a separate $4,000 fines against Safe &#038; Affordable DC. <\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lewis George maintained her innocence, calling the findings absurd and politically motivated in a Saturday <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/maustermuhle\/status\/2065798397294997848\">statement<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOCF\u2019s order is riddled with factual errors and violates procedural requirements that govern its investigations and other enforcement actions,\u201d her campaign said in a statement. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOCF falsely claims to have attempted to interview several witnesses who they allege were non-responsive,\u201d the statement added. \u201cIn fact, these people were never contacted by OCF nor did OCF notify the Campaign or its counsel that the office wanted to speak with them, despite OCF stating that these interviews were \u2018central\u2019 to its investigation.\u201d <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Lewis George campaign added it was planning to appeal the findings to the DC Board of Elections.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/sports\/4540127\/ufc-freedom-250-shows-off-white-house-stage\/\">INSIDE \u2018THE CLAW\u2019: UFC FREEDOM 250 SHOWS OFF ITS WHITE HOUSE STAGE DAYS BEFORE BIG FIGHT<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis is a last-ditch effort to derail a campaign with a double-digit lead, broad and diverse base of support,\u201d the campaign said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In April,\u00a0Ed Lazere, a political activist and Lewis George supporter, filed a complaint with the OFC against McDuffie,\u00a0questioning whether he improperly switched races after participating in the city\u2019s Fair Elections Program during his 2022 attorney general campaign. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Washington, D.C., Office of Campaign Finance has concluded that mayoral candidate Janeese Lewis George\u2019s campaign coordinated with labor unions and an independent expenditure committee supporting her candidacy, according to findings released just days before voters head to the polls in the Democratic primary. The findings stem from a complaint filed in April that alleged<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4195,"featured_media":2613761,"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\/2026\/06\/GettyImages-2268671619.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2613760","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/GettyImages-2268671619.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2613760","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\/4195"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2613760"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2613760\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2613761"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2613760"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2613760"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2613760"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}