Abuses › Diversion of public funds to political activity

Diversion of public funds to political activity

Officials routing government money -- a legal settlement, grant, or appropriation authorized for a public purpose -- into political campaigns, ballot-measure fights, or partisan committees, instead of the purpose the money was authorized or recovered for. It matters because public money is entrusted for a public purpose; diverting it into a political contest turns a public resource into an off-books campaign war chest, evading the disclosure and contribution rules that govern real campaign money.