Sen. Olympia Snowe will spend the bulk of her remaining campaign funds starting up a leadership institute program for young women, her campaign committee announced Friday.
The retiring Republican senator has transferred $1.2 million from her campaign account to the Maine Community Foundation to support the Olympia Snowe Women’s Leadership Institute, an initiative the senator will concentrate on after leaving the Senate early next year.
With the remaining $800,000, Snowe plans to pay off outstanding campaign debts and start a political action committee that supports the campaigns of centrist candidates who are willing to compromise.
“She’s excited about the next chapter,” said Lucas Caron, treasurer for the Snowe for Senate Committee. “She feels like there’s a lot she can do from outside of Congress in terms of trying to bring back a center and getting folks from both sides of the aisle to sit down and focus on solutions.”
Snowe, a moderate, shocked Maine’s political world in late February when she announced she wouldn’t seek re-election to the Senate, saying she was frustrated “that an atmosphere of polarization and ‘my way or the highway’ ideologies has become pervasive in campaigns and in our governing institutions.”
Snowe has served in the Senate since 1995.
As the Republican field to replace her settled, questions swirled about which candidate would gain her support. Secretary of State Charlie Summers, a former state director for Snowe, ultimately won the Republican nomination for the seat, but it’s unknown whether he’ll benefit from Snowe’s remaining campaign funds.
Snowe’s new political action committee will be set up to support candidates in the coming weeks, Caron said, but “it doesn’t necessarily mean she’s going to be doing a lot of activity with it this cycle.”
Caron said Snowe plans to support Republican candidates in Maine this election season. As for her political action committee, he said, “she doesn’t have any specific plans in terms of specific candidates she’s going to support.”
A spokeswoman for Summers’ Senate campaign couldn’t be reached for comment late Friday.
While plans still are evolving, Caron said the Olympia Snowe Women’s Leadership Institute will pair high school girls with mentors who inspire them and help them determine the right career paths and postsecondary education opportunities.
The Snowe for Senate Committee had $2.4 million on hand at the end of March, according to the Federal Election Commission. Caron said that balance is down to about $2 million after the campaign had to refund all contributions made for the general election effort.
The campaign offered to refund donations made to Snowe’s primary campaign — the campaign would have been able to refund 40 percent of the value — but most donors were interested in supporting Snowe’s post-Senate plans, Caron said.
Federal election law allows candidates to transfer campaign account balances to charitable organizations, contribute to other candidates or save the funds for future runs for office.
I know a Maine based kids non-profit that could sure use some help!!!!
Perhaps a look at adult services for those with disabilities (non-profit organizations) should be looked at for some of these funds. Children services are still pretty well funded…look at what happens to kids with disabilities that are going to school, having a bus aid to and from school, some have an agency come in and get them ready everyday for school, getting therapy services and most are getting one on one community service time beyond school hours once they turn 21 they have NO services — funding for anything after 21 is closed and has been for the past three years. They sit at home after 21 meaning many parents of adult children with disabilities have to quit jobs to take care of them. The services need to be looked at as a life long need — perhaps cutting a little in the children’s services if it is deemed neccessary for this child to need life long care of some type and spread out the money so they don’t end up with nothing at 21. Children become adults — and all those in their lives that were reaping the benefits of them being in their programs walk away when that kid reaches 21. I guess what I’m saying is that, I know of non – profit adult services that could sure use some help also.
All that money should go to support a republican candidate. That was what the money was given for. I think it is high handed to use it for other purposes. If she is not going to use it that way she should return it to us.
I Take this a “Lack” of endorsement to Republican Miscreants!
LOL
That money was given to Snowe not the Republican Party. But it’s just like the Republicans to think that if there is any money in Snowe’s campaign fund, it belongs to them. I’m sure some Democrats and Independents contributed to her fund as well – not just Republicans. The right-wing fringe has been calling her a RINO for years and yet they think she owes them something. She gave them what they needed which was a slap in the face for their inability to set aside party ideology in favor of working for the American people. I’m not letting the Democrats off on this one; the attitude of their left-wing fringe is just as crippling as the Republicans.
It was given to support Olympia and she should do what she thinks best with it.
I Take this a “Lack” of endorsement to Republican Miscreants!
A foundation to help young women become centrists and learn to compromise!
It is the centrist–liberal voting record she has that forced her to resign.
That attitude definitely needs replacements, good idea.
King. He’s her type….
Let’s give it to the E.T.R. Eliminate the Rhino’s.
The bulk of the money should be transferred from her account to other Republicans that are running for office…not some pet projects of hers.
Certainly some of the money should go towards the Olympia Snowe Facelift Fund…God knows she needs one bad!
Edit: Mainegal17…talk about shallow. How about Your post about LePage…little hypocritical aren’t you?
LePage matches $18,000 article.
“66readerwriter Yesterday 07:36 PM in reply to Dawn LaFlamme
“They were saving it to offset any bad press LePage may have stirred up in the meantime.
“mainegal17 1 hour ago in reply to 66readerwriter
Not enough ink in the entire state to do that, 66writer”
What a mean-spirited comment. Shows how shallow your values are, PT.
This is a sad immature petty comment.
Amusing and revealing, that she is NOT passing it along to Summers, et al. Been stabbed in the back once too often?
Should have been returned to the Maine taxpayers to help reduce the current tax burden.
Note that refunds were offered.
Money going to develop leadership and thinking skills. What a travesty!! No wonder Republicans are ticked off. ;)
Why should Summers get any of the money? Looks like some other Rs may get some.
Give it back to the onse that give it to her in the frist place….if she wonts to win some votes,then let her spend her own money….she got it..from us..!!
Who ever shall forget that intimate scene a few years back when the ebony inamorata of the social Marxists set lured Snowe and Collins to his crib, and whispered sweet nothings about raping the taxpayers to pay for socialized medicine. Like two old bloated 19th century Hancock street vendors, each sold their souls for a pittance as they prepared to implement a program that was designed to “tax” working Americans from the get go. Fortunately, they were reigned in by cooler heads. Snowe has advocated for infanticide and moral decline through an unrelenting agenda to appear conservative while espousing leftist ideologies as a matter of course. It should come as no surprise that a majority of Mainers herald her decision to move on… and do what she will as was her wont for many years with the taxpayer’s funds.