Governor Maggie Hassan has returned another $9,000-worth of campaign contributions from organized labor. Hassan has now returned $33,000 of improper donations from union political action committees.
The problem with the initial donations – $25,000 from the Electrical Workers PAC and $10,000 from the Plumbers and Steamfitters PAC, was when they were received – after Hassan’s candidacy was official.
State law permits political action committees to collect unlimited donations from PACs before a candidate officially declares. After that there are limits, $5,000 if the candidates agree to a spending cap; $1,000 if not.
The New Hampshire GOP argued those limits applied to all phases of the campaign. The Attorney General last week said that wasn’t the case, but did say Hassan’s campaign was wrong to accept donations above those thresholds after she was a candidate. Aaron Jacobs is Hassan’s campaign spokesman.
“Our understanding based on historical practice was that the relevant date was the day the check was issued. While all the contributions were issued before the deadline, the campaign has returned the funds that were physically delivered after the deadline in line with the Department of Justice’s new guidance.”
The AG ordered the return of the money to the Electrical Workers PAC last week. Hassan’s campaign sent back the Plumbers and Steamfitters money Monday—a development first reported by the Nashua Telegraph.
The Republican Party has so far filed complaints for over $80,000-worth of PAC contributions to Hassan, including a donation from two years ago.
