What happens to all the money raised for political campaigns? How is it spent?
There are very strict rules regulating how campaign funds may be spent. Candidates and organizations may not use campaign funds for personal expenses. Many of these rules are not known or fully understood.
A common misconception is that politicians solicit funds for their own personal use. They do not. Political candidates do not personally become directly wealthier off of contributions from supporters.
Only expenses which exist solely because a person is a candidate for public office may be paid for with campaign funds while expenses which would exist regardless of whether the individual is a candidate cannot[1]. A candidate may not use campaign contributions to pay the mortgage on his or her personal residence, because that expense would exist regardless of the campaign for federal office.
Return to Common Misconceptions
[1] "Campaign Finance Law Quick Reference for Reporters." Federal Election Commission. Web. 11 Dec. 2011. <http://www.fec.gov/press/bkgnd/bcra_overview.shtml>.
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