WASHINGTON — A joint fundraising committee controlled by Rep. Michelle Steel disclosed a donation of $7,900 earlier this year. The only problem: The reported donor had been dead for seven months.
When asked about the contribution last week by CQ Roll Call, the California Republican’s campaign attacked Democrats for exploiting the death of her friend. But the campaign also amended disclosure forms filed with the Federal Election Commission to remove the dead woman’s name. One form now shows the money coming from the decedent’s husband, who was also a donor on the original disclosure.
Dead people aren’t supposed to make political contributions, unless they leave instructions for managers of their estates to do so. But one campaign finance expert said other campaigns have run into trouble in the past when depositing checks from joint accounts, which appears to be what happened in Steel’s case.
The contribution was originally made to the Steel Victory Fund, which collects donations on behalf of the freshman lawmaker and then splits the money with her reelection campaign, her leadership PAC, the National Republican Congressional Committee and the California Republican Party, according to documents on file with the FEC.