Rep. Bobby Rush, an Illinois Democratic congressman, has paid his wife and son roughly $56,000 from his campaign committee since 2019, according to Federal Election Commission (FEC) records
His son Jeffrey has notably raked in close to $45,000 for mostly “field services†and “field operations services,†filings show, while his wife Paulette has been paid roughly $11,000 for “accounting services.â€
“I wouldn’t say it’s a common practice, but it does happen,†Kendra Arnold, executive director of the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust, told The Daily Caller News Foundation. “It’s illegal to pay a family member anything above fair market value for their services. The practice is frowned upon because it is really difficult to determine if it is fair market value.â€
Democratic Illinois Rep. Bobby Rush, who has a documented history of funneling campaign dollars to family members, has paid roughly $56,000 from his principal campaign committee to his wife and ex-convict son since 2019, Federal Election Commission (FEC) records show.
Rush, a former Black Panther Party leader who has served 15 terms in the House, paid his third wife Paulette Holloway Rush roughly around $11,000 between June 2021 and March 2022, filings show. The congressman notably made one $3,600 payment on June 17, 2021, to Paulette, who is a church minister.
Rush has also paid his son Jeffrey roughly $45,000 since 2019, filings show, for mostly “field services†and “field operations services,†which is typically for campaign duties such as door knocking, phone banking and event work. (RELATED: Top Democrat Funneled More Than $200,000 In Campaign Cash To Family Members)
The payments were made from the Citizens for Rush committee, which has a Chicago mailing address and has raised over $220,000 in the latest election cycle. Rush announced his retirement in January and is also a church pastor in Chicago.
While paying family members is not illegal under the law so long as an individual is being paid fair market value, the practice is “frowned upon†by ethics experts because it is “really difficult to determine†what that value is, Kendra Arnold, executive director of the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust, told The Daily Caller News Foundation.
dailycaller.com/2022/06/26/bobby-rush-son-wife-thousands-democrats-campaign-funds/
