Reminder: Retiring members of Congress have $50 million in their campaign coffers. Where will it go?

After entertaining a re-election campaign, Senator Bob Corker confirmed in February that he will retire at the end of his term. The Tennessee Republican will leave after 12 years in office and, if nothing changes, with $6.2 million in unspent campaign funds — the most of any outgoing member of Congress.

Corker’s office did not respond to inquiries after two weeks about what will happen to leftover money at the end of the senator’s term.

Neither did the offices of Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Ed Royce (R-Calif.), Patrick Meehan (R-Pa.), Al Franken (D-Minn.) or Pat Tiberi (R-Ohio) — who have a combined $20.2 million in campaign funds and are not seeking re-election.

In all, the 42 members of Congress who plan to retire or have already resigned ahead of November’s midterm election, and their campaign committee war chests boast a combined $50 million.

It’s unclear what outgoing members plan to do with that money, but using remaining funds as personal piggy banks or retirement accounts is illegal. Federal campaign finance law prohibits the spending of campaign cash for personal expenses — or purchases unrelated to a member’s candidacy or time in office.

Theoretically, that means a retired lawmaker can’t use leftover funds to pay country club membership fees, buy cars, or foot the bill for their children’s college education. But abuse of the system runs rampant.

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https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/02/cash-on-hand/