Deceased still lining political coffers, to tune of half-million [View All]

Source: USA Today

ASHINGTON — Harold Schooler died in 2003, but his political activism lives on.

The former piano salesman and musician is among more than 160 dead people who have given more than $540,000 to political committees and candidates for the White House and Congress over the past eight years, an analysis of political donations shows.

The estate of Schooler, who lived in Palm Springs, Calif., has donated $28,500 this year to the Democratic National Committee.

Federal rules allow such donations as long as contributions don't exceed legal limits and the intentions of the deceased were known, said Federal Election Commission spokesman Bob Biersack. Such gifts are fairly rare, he said.

Kent Cooper, a campaign-finance expert and former Federal Election Commission official, admits these contributions are "a little strange and unusual."

"People hear now and then of accusations of dead people voting," he said, "but these are examples of dead people continuing to give and give and give."

The Democratic committee received the most campaign money from deceased donors, nearly $225,000, according to USA TODAY's tally of federal campaign-finance data compiled by CQ MoneyLine, a non-partisan group. The Republican National Committee was the second-largest recipient, with about $93,000.
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Schooler's brother said he didn't know the reason behind his sibling's largess. "We never talked about politics," said Wayne Schooler, 87. "He didn't leave any to me … and I'm a Democrat."

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/2007-11-27-DeadDonors_N.htm