Alexandria, VA — Today, Americans for Public Trust filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) against U.S. Senate Candidate Dan Osborn for violating campaign finance law, including making excessive payments to his family members and running federal PACs.
The complaint alleges Osborn used his campaign committees to pay his immediate and extended family members, and their businesses, for campaign work that far exceeds fair market value, violating a long-standing prohibition on converting campaign funds for personal use. The complaint also alleges Osborn, and his campaign leadership, appear to be improperly controlling two federal PACs.
Click HERE to read the full complaint.
“Dan Osborn has become far too comfortable blurring the lines between family, fortune, and campaign finance law. Osborn has engaged in various tactics – including utilizing a defunct campaign account – to enrich members of both his immediate and extended family. In addition to lining the pockets of his close relatives, who appear to lack any notable professional campaign experience—Osborn is racking up federal campaign finance violations by orchestrating a scheme that seemingly finds him illegally running and controlling multiple federal PACs. The FEC should immediately undertake an investigation into Dan Osborn for these apparent violations, and make it clear that running for public office is not a generational wealth strategy.” – Caitlin Sutherland, Executive Director, Americans for Public Trust
Fast Facts:
- Mr. Osborn’s campaign committees and affiliated PACs have made frequent payments to his family members, including his wife, his wife’s businesses, his two sisters-in-law, his brother in law, and his daughter.
- Federal regulations make clear that payments made to family members using campaign funds must be made for bona fide campaign services only and not in excess of fair market value.
- Osborn’s wife, Megan, worked at a sports bar, and his daughter, Georgia, as a part time dancer. Neither has the political experience to justify the payments made.
- Osborn has two federal hybrid PACs: Working Class Heroes Fund (WCHF) and League of Labor Voters (LLV).
- Osborn and his agents directly or indirectly established them, and now finance, maintain, and control both groups.
- These two federal PACs have paid Osborn, his wife’s companies, his sister-in-law, and his other sister-in-law.
- Federal law prohibits candidates for federal office, or their campaign agents, from simultaneously running for office and controlling and raising money for a “soft money” group. A “soft money” group, like WCHF and LLV, is a political vehicle that can raise and spend unlimited money.
