The Doug Jones campaign will return a donation by comedian Rosie O’Donnell after a report from the New York Post said it exceeded campaign finances limits.
O’Donnell made two donations during the heat of the U.S. Senate race in September 2017 and December 2017, according to filings from the Federal Elections Commission. O’Donnell’s donations sum up to over $4,000.
Federal election laws prevent a contributor from giving more than $2,700 to a candidate.
The Doug Jones campaign, through their treasurer Doug Turner, responded to the report on Monday.
“Using the ActBlue online fundraising system, which does not automatically prevent over-the-limit donations, she contributed the maximum of $2,700 in late September 2017,” Turner said. “Using the same online system, she contributed again the day before the election. The campaign will bring this situation into full compliance which, in this case, will be done with a refund of the amount over $2,700.”
ActBlue is a grassroots system that is used to donate to candidates across the country. O’Donnell and others are also using similar donation websites to fund Democratic candidates for the 2018 midterms, which the minority party hopes will overturn the GOP-controlled U.S. House and Senate.
The Jones’ donation may not be the end of O’Donnell’s donation woes.
Filings from the FEC show that O’Donnell recently again donated over the campaign finance limit for a Iowa candidate running for the state’s 4th Congressional District.
O’Donnell’s donations did draw the ire of conservative commentator Dinesh D’Souza, who was convicted of a campaign finance fraud in 2014.
Justice isn’t merely about whether you broke the law—it is also about whether others similarly situated receive the same penalty #Rosie
— Dinesh D'Souza (@DineshDSouza) May 7, 2018
D’Souza, appearing on “Fox & Friends,” said that O’Donnell purposefully covered her tracks to avoid people tracking her donations. According to the FEC website, O’Donnell used a variety of addresses and spelling of her last name (without the apostrophe) when donating to political candidates.
D’Souza donated $20,000 to a GOP senate campaign in New York. In 2014, a federal court sentenced him to 8 months in a halfway house, a $30,000 fine, and 5 years probation.
So far, the FEC has not announced any legal action towards O’Donnell.
