That leaves him with nearly $8.8 million, which could be transferred to a campaign for president, should he decide to run.
Sanders’ expenses are consistent with those of a probable presidential candidate. They include about $113,000 on events; nearly $92,000 on salaries to 31 individuals; more than $64,000 on travel by car and plane; more than $60,000 on research, including $52,000 to the polling company Tulchin Research; and more than $37,000 on lodging.
His travel expenses also included a $6,800 payment to the private charter plane company Apollo Jets, as well as $5,000 in carbon offsets to NativeEnergy to compensate for his air travel. According to a previous FEC filing, Sanders spent nearly $300,000 on chartered planes earlier in the campaign season, as VTDigger.org reported last week.
On Monday, Sanders supporters formally launched a federal political action committee called Organizing for Bernie. Cofounder Rich Pelletier, who served as Sanders’ deputy presidential campaign manager in 2016, told Rolling Stone that the group has two goals: “One, we want to show the support is there. The second is to begin to do the organizing that is going to need to happen for him to hit the ground running, by the time he announces — if he announces.”
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), who wasn’t up for reelection, reported $43,200 in contributions. Unlike Sanders, who received 98 percent of his contributions from individuals, Leahy received the majority of his — 64 percent — from PACs. He spent nearly $19,000, leaving him with about $75,500 cash on hand.
Congressman Peter Welch (D-Vt.), who handily beat Republican Anya Tynio on November 6, received $52,000 in contributions, 80 percent of which came from PACs. He spent $22,800, leaving him with more than $2.1 million.
Related Stories
Got something to say?
Send a letter to the editor and we'll publish your feedback in print!
Bernie – please go away
Wow. With that kind of money maybe he could pay back the money his wife extorted from the college she drove into bankruptcy.
Go away, trolls… she’s been cleared of this accusation. She did nothing wrong.
Showing once again that money can be raised by grassroots and not super wealthy individuals or corporations when the candidate actually is in touch with his constituents and represents their interests, not corporate interests, as he is elected to do.
Maybe he could donate it back to the the people of Vermont that he has not been working for.
We know where he got the big money every last penny and it wasn’t the grassroots. It came from PAC’S..ans out of state . People are so gullible..and he knows it..
She wasn’t “cleared.” No jury found her “not guilty.” The prosecutor declined to prosecute. Big difference. I’m sure if Mueller declines to pursue charges against Trump you’ll rush to say “He’s been cleared!” Not.
And as for Bernie, it’s sick that he raised $8.8 million for reelection to a Senate seat in the smallest state in the country and where he had essentially no competition and was guaranteed reelection. “Get money out of politics! Except for me.”
I’ve disliked Bernie forever, still do. However, I must give him credit as one of the greatest game players of all time. Millions of dollars thrown at him, multiple houses and high dollar deals, jetsetting the globe in private jets, all while never really working. Even now; he’s duped the people who live in Vermont into electing him again for Senate. Now he collects a fat salary with all the benefits and isn’t even doing the job!! The kicker is, he told us all that was his plan “maybe”. He’s in a groove and will die collecting money from the leftist sheep. I don’t think he cares about being President. In fact, he probably hopes he won’t (too much like real work). All he wants to do is keep the leftist flock following with their wallets in hand. Kudos sir.
@Lucas, you hit it right on the nails head. Socialist bernie never had a job He ran unsuccessful independent candidate for election to the United States Senate in 1972 and 1974; unsuccessful independent candidate for election for governor of Vermont in 1972, 1976 and 1986; mayor of Burlington, Vt., 1981-1989; unsuccessful independent candidate to the One Hundred First Congress in 1988; elected as an independent to the One Hundred Second and to the seven succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1991-January 3, 2007); was not a candidate for reelection to the House of Representatives but was elected as an Independent to the United States Senate in 2006 for the term commencing January 3, 2007; reelected in 2012 for the term ending January 3, 2019; chair, Committee on Veterans Affairs (One Hundred Thirteenth Congress); was an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016.. All of these “jobs” does not require physical work. He claims to be an independent but we know he’s a democrat. We also know he was paid off to leave the presidential race if he wanted to be president he would have stayed. maybe he’s going to do a repeat performance ..money means a lot to him and wifey.
Bernie or Bust 2020!
Love it, Go Bernie!
Do it Bernie. If we could send everybody to Germany to see how healthcare is done — in a very diverse country like ours — then Republicans and industry spokesmen[hacks] wouldn’t be able to get away with lying to people about doctor waits and stuff that really only happens here in the privatized system. I had healthcare in Germany and I could walk in anytime to any doctor and get seen usually within an hour or so. Could get all kinds of good chiropractic work and non-traditional medicine as well. Ignorance aint bliss, but I guess it must be nice to imagine that we have the best healthcare system in the world.
Well Lucas , I like Bernie much more than you do but still a clever comment . I was thinking that if you changed a few nouns and adjectives , changed leftist sheep to right wing mouthbreathers , you’d have Trump and his supporters .
I just bought a house in another state, can’t wait to leave this left-wing-socialist-progressive-fascist place called Vermont. No longer will I have to yell, “NO, I don’t feel the Bern.” And for the record, I never have. What a charlatan he is. Wake up suckers.