Dead donors have given nearly $600,000 to political candidates and parties since 2009, according to Federal Election Commission records.
WASHINGTON — Democracy isn't dead, but a surprising number of political donors are.
Dead people have donated nearly $600,000 to political campaigns and parties since 2009, according to a USA Today analysis of Federal Election Commission records.
The donations aren't necessarily fraudulent. People are allowed to leave money to candidates and political groups in much the same way they can leave money to charities, but there are legal limits, including many of the same rules that apply to living donors.
The Democratic National Committee was the biggest recipient of the donations identified by USA Today, ringing up $250,000 from beyond the grave.
The Libertarian Party came in second with $160,000.
The paper also reports that in June, a group supporting Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's re-election bid in Kentucky appeared to receive $100,000 from GOP megadonor Bob Perry, who died in April.
But the group said that a computer glitch was to blame and the donation was actually made the day before Perry died.
Dead people have donated nearly $600,000 to political campaigns and parties since 2009, according to a USA Today analysis of Federal Election Commission records.
The donations aren't necessarily fraudulent. People are allowed to leave money to candidates and political groups in much the same way they can leave money to charities, but there are legal limits, including many of the same rules that apply to living donors.
The Democratic National Committee was the biggest recipient of the donations identified by USA Today, ringing up $250,000 from beyond the grave.
The Libertarian Party came in second with $160,000.
The paper also reports that in June, a group supporting Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's re-election bid in Kentucky appeared to receive $100,000 from GOP megadonor Bob Perry, who died in April.
But the group said that a computer glitch was to blame and the donation was actually made the day before Perry died.
