As I See It
Close OMAR loophole
We would like to think that those who run for public office are working in the public’s interest, and not their own. Of course, we know better. That is why Congress should adopt a new law to crack down on those who work to line their own pockets and that of their family. It is called the “OMAR Act” which stands for Oversight for Members and Relatives Act. The bill, introduced by Wisconsin Congressman Tom Tiffany and Mike Gallagher, would put an end to the practice of federal candidates for public office tapping their campaign accounts to enrich their spouses. I didn’t know this was a thing. But not only is it happening, apparently it is perfectly legal. A loophole allows those running for Congress to funnel money through their spouses by paying them with campaign money. Members of both political parties are guilty. Lawmakers pocket the campaign cash by “hiring” their spouse and then laundering the money as a campaign-related expense. In Minnesota, for example, an incumbent member of Congress took advantage of this loophole and paid nearly $2.8 million to her husband who she hired as a ”consultant.” This bill would make that illegal. Public officials should always act in the best interests of their constituents, not their families, and this bill would finally enforce that.
Fred
April 3, 2023 at 7:03 am
Pretty much all politicians are crooks especially the ones that been in a long time ,that’s why they are rich,
nick
April 3, 2023 at 7:43 am
The biggest reasons why the majority of candidates run is not for the public interest but to line their pockets.
I have said for years in various newspapers the way to fix a lot of what is wrong is to:
No more pension for U S senators and congresspersons. Let them live with a 401K. We, the taxpayers, match up to 5% and it can only be changed by a national vote.
No more special medical plans
Term limits an and no family member receives a dime.
Char
April 3, 2023 at 8:17 am
Another prominent politician that does this is Nancy Pelosi, who pays her adult children because they are “campaign chairmen and workers”.
Tom
April 4, 2023 at 8:26 am
Yeah, now that Ron Kind is no longer in congress…