Nearly $100 million in campaign cash sits idle

Nine former congressional members and congressional candidates who are no longer seeking federal office each retain $1 million or more in leftover campaign cash, a Center for Public Integrity analysis of federal campaign finance disclosures and Center for Responsive Politics data indicates.

Dozens of other former members and congressional also-rans, both Democrats and Republicans, are squatting on six-figure surpluses. The former congressional candidates have several options for their accumulated campaign cash, and no law requires them to divest of this money or even close down their committees.

“Donating surplus money of this nature to a credible, charitable organization only makes sense,” said Randi Law, a spokeswoman for Veterans of Foreign Wars. “Unused funds, sitting idle, do nothing to perpetuate the cycle of support that America relies on.”