House bars spouses from paid campaign work

25 Jul 2007 // The House on Monday night approved a bill that would bar candidates from paying their spouses to perform campaign work, a change that could affect U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Forest Hills.

Susan Doyle, his wife, has worked for the Doyle for Congress Committee since 2004, earning about $1,800 per month. She organizes fundraisers, manages a database of donors and helps file reports with the Federal Election Commission.

"If this becomes law, I'm going to lose a good person," said Mr. Doyle. "But I'll certainly comply with the law."

The bill must now pass the Senate.

Democratic leaders in the House, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi, supported the measure as part of their promise to raise ethical standards on Capitol Hill. It was approved by a voice vote.

Many lawmakers employ relatives on campaigns, according to a June report from Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, or CREW. The report looked at 337 members who serve in leadership positions or top posts on committees. It found that 64 of them -- 26 Democrats and 38 Republicans -- paid relatives through their campaign committees or political action committees over the past three election cycles.

"The passage of this bill with bipartisan support marks an important step forward in restoring the public's confidence that elected officials are working in the public's interest and not their own," said Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., the bill's sponsor. "Candidates run for federal office to serve the public, not to financially profit from the campaign."

Mr. Doyle argued that he and most of his colleagues have been transparent and ethical in hiring relatives for their campaigns. He said the bill was targeted at one especially egregious case involving Rep. John Doolittle, R-Calif., whose wife performed much of the campaign's fund raising until this year, earning a 15 percent commission for every donation she acquired.

In 2006, she earned $100,000 from her husband's campaign.

Mr. Schiff's bill also would require candidates to file a new disclosure form with the FCC that lists all campaign money given to immediate family members.