Post by Logan on Feb 6, 2016 20:09:36 GMT -6
When Martin O'Malley decided in November to rely on public financing for his struggling presidential campaign, he was tossing a Hail Mary with a federal program that watchdog groups say is in need of a major overhaul.
The former Maryland governor was also ensuring he could pay off his debts when he finally decided to call it quits. He did just that on Monday, bowing out after a disappointing finish in the Iowa caucuses.
O'Malley announced in November that he would take part in the public financing system, in which taxpayers use their returns to donate to a fund that provides candidates with a match for low-dollar private donations. The last major candidate to use the system in a primary was Democrat John Edwards in 2008.
In January — weeks before he dropped out of the race — O'Malley received $946,365 in public funds, according to the Federal Election Commission. That's a significant amount of cash for a candidate who raised only $1.3 million in the third quarter of last year.
Read more: www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/investigations/bs-md-sun-investigates-omalley-money0207-20160206-story.html
The former Maryland governor was also ensuring he could pay off his debts when he finally decided to call it quits. He did just that on Monday, bowing out after a disappointing finish in the Iowa caucuses.
O'Malley announced in November that he would take part in the public financing system, in which taxpayers use their returns to donate to a fund that provides candidates with a match for low-dollar private donations. The last major candidate to use the system in a primary was Democrat John Edwards in 2008.
In January — weeks before he dropped out of the race — O'Malley received $946,365 in public funds, according to the Federal Election Commission. That's a significant amount of cash for a candidate who raised only $1.3 million in the third quarter of last year.
Read more: www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/investigations/bs-md-sun-investigates-omalley-money0207-20160206-story.html