A Republican congressional candidate from Wisconsin, who lost his 2020 race, allegedly used his leftover donor money to pay for a trip to the Capitol building on January 6, according to a Daily Beast report.<\/p>\n
Derrick Van Orden, a former Navy SEAL and small-time actor, was reportedly left with $12,500 after narrowly losing to longtime incumbent Rep. Ron Kind in the November race for Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district.<\/p>\n
He spent around a third of that $4,000 in transportation and accommodation while traveling to DC with his wife and a campaign staffer around the week of January 6, the Daily Beast reported.<\/p>\n
Read more: Lots of congressional staffers make 'poverty wages' starting in the low $20,000s. 8 Capitol Hill aides break down how they stretch their paychecks to survive in one of the nation's most expensive cities<\/p>\n
Jordan Libowitz, communications director for campaign finance watchdog Citizens for Ethics and Responsibility, told the Beast: \"Campaign accounts are not personal slush funds. They must be used for campaign-related activities. Attempting to overthrow an election you just lost is not a proper campaign activity.\"<\/p>\n
\"If he did use his campaign to pay for travel for him and his staff to attend the rally-turned-insurrection, it would raise serious questions about his compliance with campaign finance laws,\" he added.<\/p>\n
In a public op-ed published a week after the riots, Van Orden insisted the trip was for work-related meetings and \"to stand for the integrity of our electoral system,\" the Daily Beast reported.<\/p>\n
\"If those were campaign-related meetings, he should say so,\" Libowitz said. \"If it was a personal trip as a private citizen, that's another matter.\"<\/p>\n
Van Orden has previously admitted to attending the \"Stop the Steal\" rally on January 6 with several thousands of other Trump supporters, but insisted he never entered the grounds. However, social media posts of the day show Van Orden standing in a restricted area breached by protesters, the Daily Beast reported.<\/p>\n
Van Orden announced in April that he's running for Congress again, and has already received major endorsements, including from Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and House Minority Whip Steve Scalise.<\/p>\n
The November 2020 race ended up being a close call Van Orden lost only by about 2.5 points to Kind, who has held the seat since 1997.<\/p>\n
Both candidates attracted a record amount of campaign contributions during the race, according to federal disclosures. Kind raised around $3 million while Van Orden managed to pull in almost $2 million, the Daily Beast reported.<\/p>\n
Van Orden is not the only congressional candidate who attended the Capitol riot.<\/p>\n
Jason Riddle, who running in New Hampshire, said last week his Capitol riot-related arrest will likely help his campaign, Newsweek reported.<\/p>\n
JR Majewski, who is running for Ohio's 9th congressional district, was also spotted breaching police barricades that day.<\/p>\n
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Wisconsin GOP candidate used leftover campaign cash to fund Jan 6 trip - Business Insider<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A Republican congressional candidate from Wisconsin, who lost his 2020 race, allegedly used his leftover donor money to pay for a trip to the Capitol building on January 6, according to a Daily Beast report. Derrick Van Orden, a former Navy SEAL and small-time actor, was reportedly left with $12,500 after narrowly losing to longtime incumbent Rep. Ron Kind in the November race for Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district Continue reading