Green Party candidate Jill Stein surpassed her original recount fundraising goal easily on the suggestion that “a tiny 50,000-vote shift” could tip the Electoral College to Hillary Clinton. Of course, there was the fine print to consider as the money poured in: recounts weren’t guaranteed, and any leftover money would go to “election integrity efforts.”
Speaking of integrity, whatever happened to that leftover money? Charles Davis at The Daily Beast took a look at what happened to the $7.3 million Stein raised for her recount efforts, and — surprise! — it’s kind of a mystery.
Jill Stein raised $7 million for a 2016 recount. She’s been spending it on herself, her travel and her staff ever since https://t.co/YCw7dz7rpT
— Edward-Isaac Dovere (@IsaacDovere) May 30, 2018
According to Stein’s April 20 update, more than $363,900 has been spent on “Media” even though, in 2016, donors were told that media expenses “could go up to $300K.” Other costs are more in line with predictions. By 2018, the campaign had spent $820,000 on “Travel and Events, “Staff support,”and “Recount observer costs.” Another $150,000 was set aside for a “Compliance reserve” — a total slightly under estimates that CBS reported in December 13, 2016.
Much of the spending has taken place long since any hope for more recounts came to an end. Of the more than $509,000 spent on staff, more than $300,000 has been spent since February 20, 2017, according to the Stein campaign. The same is true for 87 percent of travel and events spending.
Spending it on herself? Kind of.
Not quite. The story notes much of the money has gone toward lawyers; other money has gone toward core campaign staff, still collecting salaries in 2018; and they've stopped telling the FEC about it. But nothing about Jill Stein spending it on *herself*. https://t.co/kqhoXg2cgm
— Charles Я. Davis (@charliearchy) May 31, 2018
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Well, it’s all OK then.
Leeching off those last gasps of optimism from 2016. https://t.co/lZP6ARrFNp
— J. Shemkovitz (@JforJacob) June 1, 2018
She has to eat, you know. https://t.co/PH5LBUS9sw
— Scott Greenfield (@ScottGreenfield) June 1, 2018
i. told. you. not. to. give. her. money. https://t.co/IXOk4kezBH
— Jeremy O'Kelley (@JeremyOkelley) June 1, 2018
what's amazing about this reporting is that a good chunk of these expenditures have come well after the possibility of a recount has been closed https://t.co/SGaSxv1Dwu
— Sam Stein (@samstein) May 31, 2018
Who could have ever seen this coming https://t.co/y7inAHfxRx
— ? damned sinker ? (@dansinker) May 31, 2018
Dear everyone who donated to this,
We tried to warn you. https://t.co/jXxUQGZOLa
— The Catstitution (@thecatstitution) May 30, 2018
Some of us were pointing the 100% likelihood of this out to you in, oh, I dunno, November 2016 or so. https://t.co/DitfVjzXbG
— Esoteric Jeff (@EsotericCD) May 31, 2018
A corrupt progressive living off other people's money? The Hell, you say… https://t.co/k3vMoZ6NW7
— Derek Hunter (@derekahunter) May 31, 2018
Who could have seen this shocking twist coming? https://t.co/ySpgj5sfZt
— Philip Michaels (@PhilipMichaels) May 30, 2018
This is my shocked face https://t.co/Gw4jPykVba
— Temporarily Funded Viking (@9toed_Viking) June 1, 2018
I'm shocked- SHOCKED- that Comrade Stein took a bunch of folks for a ride. https://t.co/uJ4xAuhOWG
— Kellen Squire (@SquireForYou) May 31, 2018
I'm shocked the Green Party nominee is a grifter.
SHOCKED. https://t.co/CrctYCTQFQ
— Pradheep J. Shanker, M.D., M.S. (@Neoavatara) May 30, 2018
*chef's kiss* https://t.co/Nz89pkteHM
— Mark Hemingway (@Heminator) May 31, 2018
I should try this. https://t.co/DLKQgxU04B
— Damon Linker (@DamonLinker) May 31, 2018
https://twitter.com/lgbtqfc/status/1001980338996891648
I've been tweeting about this for almost 18 months. There still aren't any answers. https://t.co/73uj9P2Sd9
— Dave Hogg (@stareagle) May 31, 2018
Grifters gonna grift
And every one of you that donated to her had to know this was going to happen, which is why I can laugh at it without feeling the least bit guilty. https://t.co/tyD6UYUnS9
— Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) May 31, 2018
Stein literally preyed on desperate people, many of them voters who'd supported her in key states and were terrified at the result (narrow Trump wins in supposed "safe" states like WI, PA & MI). https://t.co/eT9i9YffFQ
— Stephen Robinson (@SER1897) May 31, 2018
There's a special place in Hell for…Jill Stein. https://t.co/7kTfak2mjM
— David Rothkopf (@djrothkopf) May 31, 2018
Awful woman. Awful human being. Traitor. https://t.co/CmQB7OFwfM
— Melissa Jo Peltier (@MelissaJPeltier) May 31, 2018
Jill Stein is a nightmare. https://t.co/q0gTOty0bL
— Katharine Weber (@katharine_weber) May 31, 2018
Watching people get conned like this makes me incredibly sad, doesn't matter which "team" they are on. https://t.co/2EBTCQ7auT
— PoliMath (@politicalmath) May 31, 2018
If she's smart she'll save some money for 2020 so she can help Trump win reelection, and then she can raise more money for another "recount." https://t.co/1kVksWeaE1
— Jonathan Chait (@jonathanchait) May 31, 2018
Related:
READ THE FINE PRINT! Jill Stein recount efforts: surplus will go toward ‘election integrity’ (whatever THAT means)https://t.co/5RmdHk1LnK
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) November 27, 2016
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