Left: Sen. John Cornyn faces a reelection fight. Right: Sen. Lindsey Graham’s leadership PAC faces campaign finance questions. Credit: Wikimedia Commons / Left: USDAgov; right: Gage Skidmore
Federal regulators notified a political action committee set up by U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, that it violated U.S. law by exceeding limits on how much it can donate to the senator’s GOP colleague, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas.
In a Dec. 14 letter, the FEC asks Graham’s Securing America’s Future PAC to explain, refund or “redesignate” $10,000 in contributions it made to Texans for Senator John Cornyn, a fundraising committee for the Texas lawmaker, who faces a tough 2026 reelection battle.
Although well-funded, Cornyn faces two primary challenges — one of them from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton — before he even get to next year’s general election.
Under federal campaign law, a so-called leadership PAC such as Securing America’s Future can’t donate more than $5,000 to a candidate during a single election cycle.
However, paperwork shows that Graham’s PAC made two contributions to Cornyn’s committee that blew past that limit: $5,000 on Dec. 24, 2024, and another $5,000 on Sept. 29 of this year, the FEC letter states. The agency gives PAC treasurer Cabell Hobbs until Jan. 20 to explain the apparent overstep.
In its correspondence, the FEC said it may take legal action over the excessive contribution. However, regulators will take the PAC’s “prompt action” in refunding the cash into consideration, the letter also notes.
“Failure to comply with the provisions of the Act may also result in an enforcement action against the committee,” the FEC further warned. “Any response submitted by your committee will be placed on the public record and will be considered by the Commission prior to taking enforcement action.”
The letter adds that the FEC won’t consider requests for extensions of time to respond.
In actuality, it’s unlikely the FEC, an independent agency tasked with regulating campaign finance, would be able to pursue any kind of enforcement action against Graham’s PAC.
The six-member commission has been operating with just two members for months, leaving it without a quorum. A total of four members must be present to have the quorum needed to issue penalties.
Three of the departures occurred during President Trump’s second term in office, including his firing of Democratic commissioner Ellen Weintraub, who argues that her ouster was illegal.
The president has been in no hurry to refill the positions because the absences have left the agency toothless, campaign finance experts told National Public Radio.
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