Rosie O’Donnell made illegally over-sized campaign donations to at least five Democratic federal candidates, according to a Post analysis of campaign filings.
The liberal comedian has regularly broken Federal Election Commission rules limiting the total any one person can give to an individual candidate at $2,700 per election. The limit applies separately to primaries, runoffs and general elections.
“Nothing nefarious,” the outspoken star and Donald Trump arch-nemesis wrote in an email to the Post. “I was not choosing to over donate.
“If 2700 is the cut off — [candidates] should refund the money,” she wrote. “I don’t look to see who I can donate most to … I just donate assuming they do not accept what is over the limit.”
O’Donnell said she donates often, and uses the online liberal fundraising platform ActBlue. “My anxiety is quelled by donating to those opposing trump [and] his agenda — especially at night — when most of these were placed.”
Alabama Sen. Doug Jones disclosed $4,700 from O’Donnell in his special general election bid last year against former GOP judge and accused child molester Roy Moore, his campaign filings show. Jones’ office didn’t return messages seeking comment.
Pennsylvania Rep. Conor Lamb reported $3,600 from O’Donnell for the special general election he won in a March upset, his filings show. He’s now running for a full two-year term in a different congressional district in November, and O’Donnell put up another $1,000 for that bid.
Lamb’s campaign manager said they will notify O’Donnell of her error and inform her that the extra $900 can be refunded or put toward the primary.
Filings show O’Donnell gave a combined $5,400 in contributions over the limit to the five candidates, and used five different New York addresses and four variations of her name.
O’Donnell donated $2,950 to California Rep. Adam Schiff, a 17-year veteran of the House, for his primary, according to his campaign filings. His campaign didn’t return messages seeking comment.
Lauren Underwood, an Illinois congressional candidate, reported $4,200 from O’Donnell for her primary, filings show. Her campaign didn’t return a message.
And Omar Vaid, a little-known congressional candidate in Staten Island and Brooklyn, reported $3,450 in primary donations from O’Donnell, filings show. Vaid’s finance director said the campaign “inadvertently designated” some of the money to the “wrong election” and would amend its filings.
Asked how much she gave to Vaid, O’Donnell wrote, “I have no idea.”
She said she assumed ActBlue “limits donations to the max allowed.”
She added, “I keep donating” and that her brother Tim handles her money.
She gave more than $90,000 the 2017-2018 election cycle to 50 different federal candidates and committees, filings show.
Both donors and candidates are legally liable for contributions over the limit. But it’s unlikely O’Donnell or her benefactors will be penalized for breaking FEC rules. Contributions over the limit can be refunded or counted toward a different election, and married donors can attribute the money to a spouse.
“Donors are rarely fined for excess contributions and then only if they are hiding the donations from the recipients,” prominent D.C. campaign finance lawyer Jan Witold Baran said. “Campaigns generally are not penalized for isolated contributions over a limit. However, multiple excessive donations may lead to an investigation … Fines could result in such cases.”
O’Donnell is also a prolific local political donor, putting up at least $25,100 for city and state candidates since 2000, New York filings show. Last year she gave a maxed-out $4,950 donation to Mayor de Blasio. In 2006 O’Donnell even gave $1,000 to former Westchester County DA and then Republican state attorney general candidate Jeanine Pirro, now a Fox News host and loyal Trump defender.
“I also maxed out to cynthia nixon,” O’Donnell told the Post. “And I loathe Jeannine Pirro.”
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