Ryan Nicol
Former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley is closing his congressional campaign account more than a decade after he resigned from Congress.
The news was first flagged by Noah Pransky of NBC LX. Foley told Pransky the remaining money will go toward local charities.
Foley had faced questions in recent years about the funds still remaining in that account, “Friends of Mark Foley for Congress.”
In 2018, the FEC pledged to conduct additional reviews of so-called “zombie” campaign accounts.
Last year, Foley was also one of 50 campaigns to receive an FEC letter asking whether those accounts were truly “winding down.”
This past May, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) sought answers about the nearly $900,000 dollars remaining in accounts belonging to Foley and other former members of Congress.
Foley previously said he was keeping that account open for a potential congressional run once reapportionment occurs following the 2020 Census.
“Mark Foley reserves his right to seek election to a federal office at a future date and anticipates making a final decision sometime following the reapportionment resulting from the upcoming decennial census,” read a response to the previous questioning.
Foley resigned from Congress in 2006 after sending sexually suggestive messages to a former congressional page living in California.
Though the FEC “suggests” candidates disperse leftover funds within six months of completing their campaigns, there’s no actual law requiring them to do so.
That allowed Foley to holds onto large sums of cash for 14 years. Nearly $1.7 million dollars remained in his campaign account following Foley’s resignation. Approximately $700,000 is still left in the account.
Foley says that money will go to charity causes. That process has already begun. In April, Foley’s committee put forward $40,000 toward COVID-19 relief efforts.
Foley’s committee gave $10,000 each to the Boys and Girls Club of Palm Beach County, Habitat For Humanity, Place of Hope and the United Way of Palm Beach County.
