FEC Rules Candidate Can Use Funds for Childcare
Liuba Grechen Shirley made history in April when she became the first woman to file a petition with the FEC in order to use a portion of her campaign funds on childcare. As a mother with two kids under five, running a campaign while looking after her children full-time wasn’t an option, but an FEC rule says candidates cannot use campaign funds for personal expenses, meaning she wasn’t able to use donations to pay for a sitter.
But on Thursday, the FEC gave Grechen Shirley its unprecedented approval, ruling that she wouldn’t have incurred childcare expenses had she not decided to run for office, thus making her able to use her funds to make payment. The commission stated that her request fell under the "Act and Commission regulations," which says one can use funds "for several specific purposes, including 'ordinary and necessary expenses incurred in connection with duties of the individual as a holder of Federal office.'"
The ruling explained how before becoming a candidate, Grechen Shirley worked from home as a consultant and watched her children since her husband also works full-time. Since campaigning, she has lost her income and hired a part-time caregiver in order to fulfill her responsibilities as a candidate.
Grechen Shirley's petition garnered support from Hillary Clinton, who wrote a letter to the FEC asking them to approve her request, and later, 24 members of Congress, who wrote their own letter to the commission.
A similar ruling occurred in 1996, when the FEC allowed Rep. Jim McCrey, from Louisiana, to use funds to pay someone to look after his 20-month-old son; the only difference is McCrey needed the funds because his wife typically looked after their son, and he wanted her to be with him at events. McCrey told the FEC her presence was "vital."
Back in April, Grechen Shirley told ELLE.com, "I’m the mom who quit her job and started to consult because I wanted to be home with my children. I’m that mom who’s always there. But moms like me need to be in politics. We just need to change the rules a little bit."
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