Jim Feldkamp - Campaign Financing

Campaign Financing

On June 28, 2004, Feldkamp traveled to Silicon Valley, California without reporting the trip's costs as campaign expenses; Feldkamp claimed that the trip was personal in nature, but agreed to amend his expense reports to include the trip and to pay a $300 fine as part of a negotiated settlement. In the same year, Feldkamp agreed to pay another fine, of $1,000, for not reporting $13,500 in contributions received prior to the commencement of the campaign; he attributed the non-reporting as being due to errors by inexperienced staff.

Feldkamp has since accepted $10,000 from Americans for a Republican Majority, a political action committee controlled by former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. After DeLay was charged with money laundering, Feldkamp declined to return the money, citing the fact that DeLay had not been convicted of a crime. After a six-year investigation by the United States Department of Justice, all federal corruption charges against DeLay were dropped without an indictment.

On October 29, 2008 the Federal Election Commission closed the case because there were insufficient votes to pursue this complaint, which was filed by the Democratic Party of Oregon. Feldkamp came under scrutiny for a personal loan to his campaign. According to a filing with the Oregon Secretary of State, Feldkamp loaned $77,500 to his campaign., despite having reported personal assets and income that would have made such a loan impossible. On October 29, 2008 the Federal Election Commission closed the case because there were insufficient votes to pursue this complaint, which was filed by the Democratic Party of Oregon.