Feinstein has more than $3M in campaign cash

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein has a healthy campaign stash as she seeks re-election to a fourth full term.

Federal Election Commission filings due Monday show Feinstein with $3.3 million cash on hand for the period ending in September.

Her Republican challenger, Elizabeth Emken, has about $100,000 on hand, said Emken's campaign spokesman, Mark Standriff. He said he did not know the amount of campaign debt but was confident the filings would reveal her campaign to be in "positive territory."

Emken, an autism advocate from the San Francisco Bay area suburb of Danville, has raised $330,000 this quarter.

Feinstein spent $500,000 in the third quarter, bringing her total spending to $2.8 million. The San Francisco Democrat has raised $8.3 million.

"An entrenched incumbent like Dianne Feinstein is going to have a significant fundraising advantage given the number of special interests who depend on her influence," Standriff said.

Bill Carrick, Feinstein's campaign consultant, could not be reached for comment.

Feinstein has paid herself back for a $5 million loan she made to her campaign after she and other Democrats were victimized in an embezzlement case involving a former campaign treasure.

The treasurer, Kinde Durkee, pleaded guilty in March to five counts of federal mail fraud after stealing $7 million from numerous Democratic candidates and officeholders.

The theft wiped out Feinstein's entire campaign account, but the campaign is still counting the stolen money in its war chest and hoping for its return.

Emken loaned herself $200,000 during the last quarter but has not given herself any more money, Standriff said. She has struggled to gain name recognition and raise money since she beat out 23 competitors to finish second in the June primary with 12.5 of the vote.

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clingingredneck 7 months, 1 week ago

My husband brought up a very good question that I hadn't really thought of before. Why do you spend more money on a campaign, than what the job pays itself? There has to be a bigger payout in the position itself than just the pay, otherwise nobody would do it.

Here is another interesting exercise. The next time you buy something, calculate 35% of that and tack it on to the bill. That is what you are really paying for those items. You pay 35% in taxes on everything you make. Now you know why those of us that work have such a hard time justifying those of us that don't. Do you really want to pay 14$ for that 10$ pizza? Do you really think that cup of coffee that is normally 3$ is worth $3.90?

clingingredneck 7 months, 1 week ago

Here's an idea, why don't we make the campaign fund the cost of the position first, before they spend any money on campaigning. Think of the dollars that would save the government. LOL

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