When his 2022 campaign was over, California Rep. Eric Swalwell might run into trouble for excessive childcare expenses.
While candidates are authorized to use campaign funds to pay for childcare while a race is still in progress, they are not authorized to continue doing so after Election Day. An ethical watchdog group claims that Swalwell, who spent about $17,000 on childcare from November 14, 2022, and the end of the year, may have violated this requirement.
If the costs of childcare were not related to campaign activity, it would be illegal for him to utilize campaign funds to cover them after the election, according to the executive director of the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust Kendra Arnold.
There are numerous issues surrounding the use of campaign funding for personal expenses by politicians. In July 2022, the Federal Election Commission informed Swalwell’s “Swalwell for Congress” organization that it would pay Swalwell’s childcare costs if he traveled for campaign events and the wife was unable to look after their children.
The FEC stated that trips made by him as a member of Congress, rather than a candidate, or at the request of a “foreign government” were not permitted for his committee to pay for.
