From Coffins to Coffers

The Center for Public Integrity has issued a report which reveals that “dozens of donors listed as ‘deceased’ have contributed $1.3 million to candidates for Congress, the White House and political parties.”   Elizabeth Brown and Daniel Lathrop, From Coffins to Coffers, Oct. 28, 2005.  Here are some of the key findings:

[T]here are at least 100 of the dearly departed still giving funds to political parties and to candidates for Congress and the presidency. Members of this underground political movement have contributed more than $1.3 million to federal candidates and political parties in the past 14 years. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., former President Bill Clinton and Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., have been among their beneficiaries. * * *

FEC spokesman George Smaragdis said people can set up “testamentary bequests” to support political parties and specific candidates after they have passed away. “If that is their wish while they are alive, money can be set aside for federal political action committees,” Smaragdis said, noting that because of new laws, estates, like living individuals, recently have been limited to donations of $5,000 to a PAC per calendar year.