California Democrat Maxine Waters Illegally Funnels $80,000 in Campaign Money to Daughter

Maxine Waters, the chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee, is in hot water again for misappropriating funds and illegally passing more than $80,000 of donors' cash to her daughter so far in 2021. She is facing renewed calls of nepotism.

In line with monetary disclosure data reviewed by Daily Mail, the California Democrat paid her daughter, Karen Waters, $81,650 in marketing campaign funds. The whole amount was paid in 12 instalments from October 23, 2020 via June 17, 2021 for "slate mailer management" fees and "GOTV" — or "Get Out the Vote" services.

Nepotism Storm

Karen has worked on Waters' campaigns for decades. She organized slate-mailing operations to bolster her mother's reelection.

According to Fox News, "slate-mailing is an uncommon practice in federal elections, where a consulting firm is hired to create a pamphlet of sorts that contains a list of candidates or policy measures, and advises voters how to cast their ballots."

Waters was reportedly the only federal politician to use a slate-mailer operation during the 2020 general election.

Campaign finance records show that Waters' campaign paid Karen, a cumulative $74,000 in donor cash already this year. Karen received $20,000 from the campaign in the last quarter alone, nearly a third of the median American household income.

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Maxine Waters

Waters Has Been Slammed for Such Payments to Her Daughter Before

The revelation comes 17 years after the Los Angeles Times first revealed that Waters paid her family over $1 million for their campaign efforts. Several allegations suggested that the family of Waters pocketed more than $1 million over eight years either from her campaigns or a business with a connection to the campaign. Waters defended the payments to her daughter, insisting her politics and their business were separate.

"They do their business and I do mine," Waters said at the time, according to the Washington Post. "We are not bad people."

Social Media Reactions

Some netizens said that it's noting new and it's the daily practice of politicians while others felt the "illegal transactions" should be seriously investigated. One internet user wrote, "Like all things done by democrats, they will NEVER be punished for abusing their positions!" Another wrote, "Unfortunately, we've known that for years."

One comment read, "How do these crooks stay out of jail?" Another comment read, "Time for her to go. She is useless and only interested in making money for the family. This may be illegal. Should be investigated."

"And her constituents keep voting her back into the house," tweeted one user. "#Corrupt @RepMaxineWaters. They're all #THIEVES," said another. One comment read, "Once a crook always a crook! Personally, I call it stealing!"

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