"Zombie Campaigns": Congresscritters spend campaign money after retirement & FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE

[WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo?]

TEGNA news stations across the country and the Tampa Bay Times have investigated the ways members of Congress spend money from their campaign funds after retirement, or in some cases, even after they have died.

http://www.tampabay.com/projects/2018/investigations/zombie-campaigns/spending-millions-after-office/

http://www.king5.com/mobile/article/news/politics/zombie-campaign-coffers-live-on-after-campaigns-end/281-513734263

http://www.wkyc.com/mobile/article/news/investigations/zombie-campaigns/zombie-campaigns-how-politicians-are-using-campaign-money-long-after-retirement-and-death/95-513597635

http://www.ktvb.com/mobile/article/news/investigations/7-investigates/7-investigates-sen-craig-spent-campaign-funds-well-past-retirement/277-513650435

Members of Congress are supposed to take 6 months after they leave office to pay off any legitimate campaign debts, then donate any remaining money from their campaign funds to charities or to other political funds. Because of a loophole, some cheaters are using money from campaign accounts (which is never supposed to be used for personal needs, only campaign expenses) to pay for vague "travel expenses" or "office supplies" years after they retire. The investigative reporters even found cases of money being used after the member of Congress has died. 

Way to "drain the swamp" guys.

[hoipolloi]

Not surprising but there's a loooonng history of scamming campaign funds for other purposes. The FEC needs to crack down but that's not likely to happen on tRump's watch.

[In assisting @WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo? with fixing the thread title, I discovered that there is actually an accepted spelling/format for congresscritter. Who knew?]