FRANKFORT, Ky. – It turns out that the Kentucky Democratic Party did not get a windfall cash transfer last month from a Hillary Clinton political committee.
In a report filed with the Federal Election Commission earlier this week, the Kentucky Democratic Party reported receiving $793,000 in July from “HVF,” or Hillary Victory Fund, which is a joint fundraising committee for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, the Democratic National Committee, and various state Democratic Party organizations including the Kentucky’s.
The Courier-Journal reported the transfer earlier this week and suggested the transfer amounted to a huge apparent windfall for Kentucky Democrats, who have trailed far behind the Republican Party of Kentucky in fundraising this year in preparation for the crucial November elections. But the newspaper’s story also noted that the party’s report showed that immediately upon receiving the transfer, the Kentucky Democratic Party transferred the $793,000 to an affiliated state party committee the report calls “Kentucky Democratic Party – Federal.”
On Thursday, the FEC wrote a letter to the Kentucky Democratic Party raising a question about this. The FEC said the party’s report showed it had transferred the money back to itself. It asked the party to “clarify” this matter or file an amended report listing the “correct name” of the ultimate recipient of $793,000.
In response to questions about the FEC letter, Daniel Lowry, spokesman for the Kentucky Democratic Party, said Friday that the party’s report contains a mistake. Lowry said the money the party got from Hillary Victory Fund last month was actually transferred by the state party to the Democratic National Committee. Lowry said the party will file a corrected report with the FEC next week.
Lowry said he did not know why the Hillary Victory Fund money was transferred to Kentucky only to, in turn, be transferred immediately out to the DNC. He did say that the Kentucky Democratic Party expects financial support later during the fall campaign from both the DNC and the Hillary Victory Fund.
