California Democrat Maxine Waters caught in a new storm of nepotism after paying her daughter $192,000
>
California Democrat Maxine Waters caught in a new storm of nepotism after paying her daughter $192,000 in campaign funds to run operation ‘slate mailer’
- US Rep. Maxine Waters paid her daughter, Karen, $192,300 from her campaign fund over the past two years to run her ‘chalkboard mail’ operation.
- In the operation, the congresswoman accepts payments to appear in advertisements supporting other Democrats and political measures in California.
- Waters has been repeatedly criticized for years over her daughter’s campaign earnings, and the congresswoman defended her decision.
US Representative Maxine Waters is under scrutiny again, after her daughter received more than $192,000 from her campaign fund to run her ‘postal mail’ operation.
Karen Waters earned $192,300 for operating her mother’s endorsement ads between January 2021 and December 2022, according to documents filed by the Federal Election Commission.
The practice involves Waters, a popular California Democrat, accepting payments to appear in advertisements, a common practice in the state but remarkably rare for politicians at the federal level.
Water was licensed to run the operation in 2004, and Karen has earned more than $1.2 million since then, as critics continue to decry the apparent nepotism.
US Representative Maxine Waters (left) paid her daughter, Karen (right), $192,300 from her campaign fund over the past two years to run her “chalkboard mail” operation
Although rare for high-level politicians, the congresswoman accepts payments to appear in ads for other Democrats and California policy measures.
Karen (pictured) has received more than 1.2 million since the operation began in 2004
According to campaign documents, Karen is paid management fees approximately twice a month in payments ranging from $2,000 to $6,000.
It was previously reported that Karen received $81,650 in campaign funds in 12 installments from October 23, 2020 to June 17, 2021.
Federal regulations do not prohibit candidates or members of Congress from hiring family members for a campaign.
Karen’s role in her mother’s campaign is to organize the candidate list mailing operation, where a consulting firm is hired to create a booklet listing candidates or political measures for each person campaigning for the election and advising voters on how to cast their vote.
It’s standard practice in California, where Waters has reaped the rewards by appearing in commercials with prominent state Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon.
Pictured: A list of the most recent payments made to Karen Waters
Waters has been criticized for years for her daughter’s six-figure earnings through her campaign. The duo appear at an NAACP event in 2008.
Harris first made use of the ads in 2010 when he doled out $33,000 to Water’s campaign in his run for California attorney general, and then paid $30,000 again when he ran for the Senate, federal documents show.
Newsom paid Waters’ campaign $45,000 when he sought the lieutenant governorship in 2010, and Gascon gave $36,500 in his 2020 campaign.
Waters’ campaign did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com’s request for comment.
Vice President Kamala Harris (left) and California Governor Gavin Newsom (right) are among the many who paid tens of thousands to Waters’ slate shipping operation.
The congresswoman has repeatedly defended her decision to hire her daughter to run her mailing operation, in addition to paying other family members to work on her campaign.
“They do their business and I do mine,” he said when campaign spending reports first appeared in 2004. “We’re not bad people.”
Along with Karen, Waters’ son Edward Jr. shared in the profits from the slate mail and occasionally worked as a consultant on Waters-backed campaigns.