California state Sen. Scott Wiener, his congressional campaign and its coordinated super PAC are the subject of a complaint filed with the Federal Election Commission on Friday by a former opponent, Saikat Chakrabarti.
The complaint follows The Washington Sun’s reporting on how the Wiener campaign’s close relationship with a supportive super PAC, Families for an Affordable San Francisco, appeared to push the bounds of what is permissible under campaign finance law.
Wiener’s U.S. House campaign and the super PAC share paid staff and an office, and they split costs on expenditures that sometimes do not appear to relate to canvassing, an action where coordination may be permissible, a review of FEC filings by The Sun found.
The complaint was filed Friday by Chakrabarti, a former rival of Wiener’s in the race to replace outgoing former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in California’s 11th Congressional District. Wiener and San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan advanced in the June runoff. Chakrabarti, who did not advance, has used his immense wealth and another super PAC, SF Solidarity, to back Chan.
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“The Commission should immediately investigate the Respondents for making and receiving excessive contributions, as well as reporting violations,” Chakrabarti wrote in the complaint, citing The Sun’s reporting. “Families for an Affordable San Francisco appears to be subsidizing Mr. Wiener’s campaign operations, using funds raised outside of federal contribution limits.”
Both the campaign and the super PAC have denied any impropriety, relying on a 2024 FEC advisory opinion that allows campaigns and super PACs to coordinate on canvassing.
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“We fully comply with Campaign Finance Law,” Families for an Affordable San Francisco spokesperson Sam Singer told The Sun this month. Neither the Wiener campaign nor the super PAC responded to a request for comment about the FEC complaint filed Friday.
Chakrabarti did not respond to a request for comment.
The complaint cites the overlap of at least five staffers who were paid by the super PAC and campaign at the same time, including the super PAC’s treasurer, Todd David. Third-quarter FEC filings show that number has jumped to eight overlapping staffers, among them David’s son, Noah.
Chakrabarti’s complaint “respectfully requests that the Commission conduct an immediate investigation into these allegations; declare the Respondents to have violated FECA and FEC regulations; impose sanctions appropriate to these violations; and take such further action as may be appropriate.”
The FEC has effectively been out of service for the last 18 months as it lacks the four commissioners required to take substantive action on matters such as Chakrabarti’s complaint.
Two Democratic commissioners are seated, but two Republican nominees put forward by President Donald Trump in February have sat in limbo as Senate Republicans have not moved to proceed with their confirmations.
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