(America Out Loud News) Have you ever wondered what becomes of socially awkward politicians with no marketable skills when they are gerrymandered out of public office?
Last month, Mel Witty conducted extensive research on Letitia James’ use of nearly $400,000 from her campaign funds for a lavish lifestyle. This month, she investigated questionable fundraising and expenditures of former Congressman and J6 Committee member Adam Daniel Kinzinger.
Prior to finding fame in the Congressional Circus that arose from the January 6 fallout the most remarkable thing about Adam Kinzinger was just how unremarkable his congressional career had been. Despite representing the reddest district in Illinois, Mr. Kinzinger prided himself on being “bipartisan” at every turn. He co-authored a few pieces of legislation, notably the 2016 Countering Foreign Propaganda and Disinformation Act, aimed at “stopping Russian interference in our elections,” but that’s about it.
His fundraising efforts were decent but never excessive. In his first five terms in office, Mr. Kinzinger never raised more than $2.45 million (2020) across all of his campaign committees, and he never spent more than $2.53 million (2018).
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However, as we all know, America was changed forever on that fateful day in January 2021. Our “Democracy” was threatened and the burden to save it had fallen on the shoulders of men like Adam Kinzinger. (sarcastic tone, please!)
Kinzinger’s first order of business in saving our “Democracy” was to open a second Joint Fundraising Committee.
Unfortunately for Mr. Kinzinger, the Illinois state legislature had other plans following the 2020 census. The redrawn district lines, which combined two Republican districts into one, would make his re-election difficult, if not impossible. Rather than get into a grueling primary with the other Republican, Kinzinger announced on October 29, 2021, that he would not seek re-election.
Normally, this would be the end of the story; no re-election means no more campaign fundraising. Time to wrap it up and move along to K Street with all the other washed-up politicians whoring themselves out to the highest special interest bidder.
This story does not end there. In fact, it just gets started there. You see, following January 6, Mr. Kinzinger had found himself quite the lucrative, niche role in American politics: ‘Republican Man of Conscience.’
Wait. How was that even possible?
Behold the power of campaign committees!
Ten days after announcing his retirement from Congress, Kinzinger converted his Country First Joint Fundraising Committee into a Leadership PAC. This kept the money flowing. Now, he was free to continue raising money in the name of “saving our Democracy” by soliciting donations under the guise of using that money to help Country First Patriots win elections across America!
Is that what Kinzinger did? Not exactly…
Despite raising $6.7 million in the 2022 cycle, Mr. Kinzinger only gave about $140,000 to other candidates.
To be fair, he needed to pay for the airplane hangar he was keeping his new plane in.
It appears you can not only bill your campaign to store your personal airplane, but you can also reimburse yourself for the miles you flew that plane (when conducting the business of your leadership PAC, of course. 😉
