U.S. House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA) — the second-ranking Democrat in the House — is the latest member to become entangled in an epidemic of thefts affecting public officials.
Federal records indicate that a $5,000 check from the Unum Group Political Action Committee to Clark’s campaign committee was “fraudulently intercepted” sometime before Nov. 14.
Unum Group Political Action Committee, which is sponsored by the Unum Group insurance and employee benefits company, reported the theft to the Federal Election Commission on Tuesday morning, according to a Raw Story review of public records.
Neither Clark’s office nor Unum Group’s PAC, which indicated to the FEC that it reissued a check to Clark’s campaign, immediately responded to questions from Raw Story.
It is only the most recent example of theft from lawmakers and political committees, which have amounted to millions of lost dollars.
RELATED ARTICLE: Republican congressman loses nearly $10K in mail theft
Political committees for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), banking giant Goldman Sachs and the Oregon Republican Party are among the latest to get jacked.
Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA), who had previously introduced legislation to combat mail fraud, lost nearly $10,000 in August from his leadership PAC in what turned out to be a case involving a check stolen while in transit in the U.S. Mail.
And the FBI got involved when Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) was the victim of a cybertheft incident late last year that initially cost his campaign $690,000.
The list grows longer each month.
In September, "an unknown individual created, forged and cashed a fictitious PAC check in the amount of $2,000," the federal political action committee of the Exelon Corporation, the nation's largest power utility company, acknowledged to federal regulators.
In May, Raw Story reported that the Managed Funds Association PAC was targeted more than 20 times between Jan. 1 and March 31, initially losing $147,000 in fraudulent check payments, although it appears to have since recouped the money, according to filings with the FEC.
The Retired Americans PAC, a super PAC that supports Democrats, recouped more than $150,000 it lost in late 2022 after paying fraudulent bills sent to the committee, according to an April 21 letter to the Federal Election Commission, Raw Story reported. Other current and former Republican members of Congress targeted by thieves include Rep. Troy Nehls of Texas (his campaign lost $157,626), former Rep. John Katko of New York ($14,000), Rep. Neal Dunn of Florida ($10,855), Rep. Russell Fry of South Carolina ($2,607.98) and Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida ($362.04).
The Republican National Committee and Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-TN) also experienced recent campaign cash thefts.
As Ocasio-Cortez’s situation underscores, the problem isn’t unique to Republicans: In November, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s campaign fell victim to check fraud worth $10,085, and President Joe Biden’s 2020 Democratic presidential campaign committee lost at least $71,000, according to Insider.
One-time Democratic presidential candidate and congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard and rapper-turned-2020 presidential candidate Ye, formerly Kanye West, are among others who reported money stolen from their political accounts.
At the end of February, the Business Industry Political Action Committee — the nation's oldest federal business — reported losing $14,156 to thieves, while the federal PAC of State Farm Insurance lost $12,220 to thieves, Raw Story first reported.
In March, the Energy Marketers of America Small Business Committee PAC reported to the FEC $5,000 in check fraud supporting Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND), and thieves went on a $195 shopping spree at Chick-fil-A with funds for Rep. Larry Bucshon (R-IN), according to a March FEC filing.
Other fraud victims this year include Rep. Shontel Brown (D-OH), whose campaign was able to reverse a $621.96 unauthorized purchase on February 17, according to an FEC filing reviewed by Raw Story.
Rep. Greg Murphy (R-NC)’s campaign lost $2,500 with a fraudulent payment on February 27, according to an FEC filing, and the International Longshoremen’s Association, a labor union, was able to get a $726.42 fraudulent automatic payment on the same date reversed, according to an FEC filing.
The Build Political Action Committee of the National Association of Home Builders (BUILDPAC) reported $500 and some change in fraudulent debits on February 27, according to an FEC filing.
The McKesson Corporation, a pharmaceutical and medical supplies company, informed the FEC that it, too, had fallen victim to someone who "created, forged and cashed a fictitious PAC check for $12,000" on Nov. 7.
The McKesson Company Employees Political Fund notified its bank "immediately upon discovery of the fraudulent activity" and attempted to secure return of the lost funds.
Alexandria Jacobson and Dave Levinthal contributed to this report
