Why Run for President When You Know You Can t Win? – The Messenger

Not every candidate in the past several presidential election cycles has done so maliciously. Those who seek the White House tend to have the ego necessary to believe that they have a legitimate shot at victory, even if it is small. But there is a definite subset of candidates who seem to be running for future on-air commentary positions or, perhaps, to benefit personally from their campaign war chests. Today the notoriety of seeking the White House well outweighs the shame of losing the race. The old joke used to be that a certain number of Democratic and Republican candidates for president were really auditioning for vice president or for the next Cabinet (Pete Buttigieg, anyone?).

One of the chief ways that running for president can pay off is through political donations. Seeking a national office is a great way to build up a campaign treasury that could be used for personal use or for a future, unrelated campaign. The Federal Election Commission (FEC) states that using campaign funds for personal use is prohibited, but there are numerous ways around that if you are shrewd and unscrupulous enough.

Some means are relatively benign. You raise millions for your campaign and increase your profile by donating that money to charity. This is allowed, and gives you both the ability to help others and a squeaky-clean press release.

The FEC does allow candidates campaigns to pay them a salary, with some strings attached. Some politicians, such as Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), have gone this route. Furthermore, payments are allowed to friends and family members for services rendered to the campaign. This is supposed to be for bona fide efforts, according to the FEC, but let s be honest: This is not always the case.

via themessenger.com

Shifty grifty.