Mary Landrieu Open to Donating Leftover Campaign Funds to Republicans

Former senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) was one of the worst members of the Democratic caucus, as many of us remember. I wrote about that here, here, and here.

And she's been just as bad in her post-Senate career.

Back in April, she took a job as a "strategic advisor" to the Walton Family Foundation to help them lobby for charter schools and other ways of privatizing our public education system.

Then in May, she (surprise!) began working for a lobbying firm that serves clients in the Oil & Gas industry.

In July, she joined the advisory board of the AIPAC-created "Citizens for a Nuclear Free Iran," a group designed to lobby against the Iran deal. She joined other horrible former colleagues like Joe Lieberman, Evan Bayh, and Mark Begich.

But, remember, Mary Landrieu still raised a lot of money for her race last year, and some of that money (roughly $150,000) is still with her.

What does she plan to do with that money? She is hosting some fundraisers for former Democratic colleagues like Ron Wyden and Amy Klobuchar. (Wyden doesn't face that competitive of a race this cycle, and Klobuchar isn't up until 2018 and won with 65% of the vote in 2012).

But that, of course, is not all:

Landrieu said she also will contribute some leftover campaign money to Republicans. “I’m not opposed to helping one or two of my Republican friends that have helped Louisiana — if they ask,’’ Landrieu said. “They haven’t asked yet.’’

She specifically named Rob Portman of Ohio, who is up for re-election next year, and Susan Collins of Maine, who is up in 2020.

Other recipients may include lawmakers who have pushed issues Landrieu has championed, including legislation to lift the cap on shared revenue under the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA). Under the 2006 act, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas and certain counties in those states receive 37.5 percent of revenue from offshore oil and gas drilling.

So, yes, my friends, if you donated to Mary Landrieu's campaign last year, your money may end up going toward helping Republicans keep the Senate.