The Federal Election Commission (FEC) approved a payment of approximately $614,000 in taxpayer funds to former Vice President Mike Pence to settle debts accumulated during his brief presidential campaign.
Former Vice President Pence, who served under President Donald Trump, ended his campaign for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination in October 2023.
The same disclosure form, submitted on July 20, indicated that the committee had approximately $194,000 in cash on hand at the end of June. The filing also showed that the campaign was issuing refunds to its donors, with approximately $511,000 sent out in June, primarily for refunds.
The FEC previously stated that Mr. Pence’s campaign committee adhered to the required guidelines to receive matching public funds, raising at least $100,000 with contributions from 20 different states and agreeing to expenditure limits set by the FEC.
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An FEC official previously informed The Epoch Times that Mr. Pence’s payments could be used for eligible campaign expenses, including winding down costs.
Very few presidential candidates seek public funding for their campaigns, with Mr. Pence being the sole candidate from the 2024 election cycle to do so.
According to FEC data from May, only Jill Stein of the Green Party and Martin O’Malley of the Democratic Party participated in public funding in 2016. Mr. O’Malley currently serves as the commissioner of the Social Security Administration, while Ms. Stein is running as a Green Party candidate.
Pence’s Initiatives
Mr. Pence, who served as the governor of Indiana from 2014 to 2017 and was a former member of the House, faced criticism from the Republican Party after President Trump denounced him for certifying the results of the 2020 election.
Former President Trump secured his third presidential nomination from the Republican Party at the Republican National Convention in July, running this time with Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio). Mr. Pence did not attend the convention.
As per a February 21 announcement from Advancing American Freedom, Mr. Pence’s current initiative focuses on tax policy, free trade promotion, countering the Chinese Communist Party, restoring U.S. global leadership, and supporting the U.S. energy sector.
In June, Advancing American Freedom launched a $10 million “nationwide grassroots education campaign” to defend the tax cuts implemented during the Trump administration.
Representatives for Mr. Pence did not provide a comment prior to publication.
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