Well, folks, it seems even the most seasoned political players can trip over the rulebook when no one’s watching. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) and her 2020 campaign committee, Citizens for Waters, have been slapped with a hefty $68,000 fine by the Federal Election Commission (FEC) for breaking campaign finance laws.
Breitbart reported that the story boils down to a series of missteps by Waters’ campaign during the 2020 calendar year, including sloppy reporting, taking in too much cash, and making unauthorized payouts.
According to documents released by the FEC on a recent Friday, the trouble started with Citizens for Waters failing to properly report their receipts and disbursements for 2020.
It’s the kind of bookkeeping blunder that might make you wonder who was minding the store. After all, transparency isn’t just a buzzword—it’s the law.
Things get stickier when you dig into the FEC’s findings, which accuse the campaign of knowingly accepting excessive contributions totaling $19,000. That’s not pocket change, and it raises eyebrows about how such overages slipped through the cracks.
On top of that, the FEC flagged $7,000 in prohibited cash disbursements from a petty cash fund—a no-no under federal rules. If you’re running a congressional campaign, shouldn’t the rulebook be bedside reading? It’s hard to excuse handing out cash like it’s candy at a parade.
Now, Waters’ campaign attorney, Leilani Beaver, has chimed in with an explanation. “The errors were primarily a result of limited staff availability and resources during the pandemic,” Beaver said. Limited resources? With all due respect, most small businesses managed to balance their books during those tough times without breaking federal law.
Beaver also noted, “Waters’ campaign committee acknowledges errors were made which were not willful or purposeful.”
Fair enough, but unintentional or not, the rules still apply, and the FEC isn’t in the business of handing out hall passes. Accountability isn’t selective, even if the intent wasn’t malicious.
The FEC didn’t hesitate to act, voting 4-0 on April 29, 2025, to impose the $68,000 fine, just before the agency hit a de facto shutdown due to a commissioner’s resignation. It’s a rare bipartisan agreement in a polarized world, showing that some lines can’t be crossed without consequence.
As part of the penalty, Waters’ campaign has agreed not only to pay up but also to send its treasurer to a Commission-sponsored training program for political committees.
They’ll even have to submit proof of attendance, like a student turning in a permission slip. If only fiscal responsibility came with a refresher course sooner.
But wait, there’s more to chew on. An FEC report from December 2022 revealed that Citizens for Waters paid $8,000 in June of that year to Progressive Connections, a company run by Karen Waters, the congresswoman’s daughter, for “slate mailer management fees.”
While not illegal on its face, it’s the kind of family transaction that makes you wonder about optics in politics. Progressive Connections, by the way, has raked in over $1 million from Waters’ campaign since 2003.
That’s a long-term business relationship that might leave some taxpayers scratching their heads. Shouldn’t campaigns prioritize avoiding even the appearance of favoritism?
Look, nobody’s saying Rep. Waters doesn’t have the right to run her campaign as she sees fit, but these violations aren’t just clerical oopsies—they’re breaches of trust with the public. Voters expect elected officials to play by the same rules they champion, not to skirt them when it’s convenient.
From a conservative perspective, this situation underscores a broader frustration with the political class, where progressive agendas often come with a side of selective rule-following.
It’s not about piling on Waters specifically, but about holding everyone to the same standard. If the FEC can’t enforce these laws, what’s stopping the system from becoming a free-for-all?