Who's Kidding Who?:Teenager Maxes Out For Romney

The following piece was produced by the Huffington Post's OffTheBus.

Reported by Alycia Dolan, with additional reporting by Kirsten Anderson, Jennifer Bogut, Ethan Hova, and Nancy Watzman.

A typical teenager can fit his or her entire financial savings into nothing more than a plastic piggy bank. Yet, the teenage son of Mr. Richard Henken and Mrs. Sarah Henken was able to contribute the maximum allowable contribution to Mitt Romney's presidential campaign.

An investigation by The Huffington Post's OffTheBus found an example of minors donating their hard earned allowance to a presidential candidate, in the most recent campaign finance report filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) for the third quarter of the year.

Mr. Henken, president of a Boston-based real estate development firm, donated the maximum amount also, as did his wife and daughter. Although it is legal for minors to donate money, some view this tactic as bundling. Bundling occurs when a group of people, in this case entire members of a family, individually contribute the maximum amount allowable to create large sums of cash. Opponents argue that bundling allows the wealthy to work around the political campaign contribution limit of $2,300 per person during this presidential election.

Indeed, Congress tried to ban contributions from minors when lawmakers approved the 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act. But the U.S. Supreme Court overturned that provision saying that it violated the First Amendment rights of minors.

Although family members may have similar ideologies and support the same candidate, what is questionable is how minors accumulate the money to give it away to a potential president. The Henkens decision to endorse president candidate Mitt Romney is evident by their campaign contributions. According to the FEC records, Mr. and Mrs. Henkens' young son, Samuel Henken, listed as a student, donated $2,300 to Romney for President, Inc. on September 30, 2007. His sister, also a student, donated the maximum contribution to Romney's campaign on the same day. Karen, his sister, and Richard Henken also each donated $2,300 to the Mitt Romney Campaign.

What is questionable is how a teenager can afford to donate the maximum amount of money and what motivates them to hand it over to a candidate? Most children don't have the political awareness or the financial capabilities to give that amount of money. Consequently, it is important to figure out where the money is coming from.

When asked for comment, we spoke with Sarah Henken, the wife of Samuel Henken, who described her family as "blessed economically." She suggested that the funds from her teenage son came from his own pocket. "My children have money. They had money from bar mitzvahs. They both earn money. They've been given money over the years from family and non-family. We feel it is their responsibility as it is ours to give to things that we believe in. That's our family story."

However, Sarah Henken, also said that she was proud and unapologetic for her family bundling a number of maximum contributions. "We live in Massachusetts. In Massachusetts, unlike in Ohio, we live in a single party state. So, it is important when you don't agree with the ruling party to make your feelings known. We raise our children to be active and participate as much as they're able to participate in the political goings on around them."

When a parent that works for a big company and their children give money to the same candidate, this creates the illusion of potential bundling. Although a family is much smaller than a lobby group or corporation, when does donating money through another person go from bending the rules to breaking the law? As the old cliché goes, there's no such thing as a free gift.

Comments

[TimmySlagle]

What's wrong with a teenager wanting to involve himself in National Politics?

Isn't that what we're supposed to believe happened with Graeme Frost? Just a bright courageous little boy who wants to make a difference, and stepped up to the plate.

Since we're supposed to believe that no adults coerced Graeme into giving the DNC response, why can't we believe the little Henken boy did this of his own volition?

And why is a politically active teeenager only suspicious, when he's Republican?

[nellieh]

I believe her! When a father can throw a $10 million batmitzvah for his daughter, there is no doubt the money is there. Now, if they do this because they are political motivated, I DON'T believe.

[Richterscale]

Just curious...
Is Jay Severin still pushing this fool, and if so..

Has anyone asked him if he has taken any money from Romney, or been promised any sort of job if this guy actually gets elected?

[Giglawyer]

As compelling as this story was, I can't wait to read the author's investigative report on how Chinese waiters, busboys and diswashers living in the most expensive city in the country can afford to donate $1,000-2,000 to Mrs. Clinton.

[drhammer]

Oooh!

(Touche.)

[xenubarb]

I don't know any teens who can fit their savings in a piggy bank! How do you think they can afford iPods, video games and bling?

That said, I'd object to this only if the parents "gave" him the money to donate.

[LuciaZephyr]

Thanks for the generalization there, slick. I know I sure as hell can't afford any of those things, let alone a campaign contribution to a presidential candidate. Maybe I'm just in a poorer part of the country than most, because I don't think many of my peers have that sort of cash to toss around.

[Richandler]

I think the Supreme Court ruling is out of line. We don't think people are responsible enought to drink until they are 21. Yet they are responsible enought to influence political decision? I'm saying it should be banned. But teens should have a cap of lets say $100. And while we are at it lets bring the normal cap down to earth.

[Sargoth]

In my opinion, this shouldn't be an issue. If a kid wants to give money, fine. You can't go ransacking the nation's records in a crusade to find out how they raised the money or if the parent's asked the kids to do it.

Banning minors from donating to candidates seems like the greater evil here because it disenfranchises them entirely.

[overdahill]

Except in the Crusade against Graeme Frost and his family. Everything, including listing home addresses, should be public info when rightwing freepers want it.

[theantidesi101]

I think that this is a problem, however I urge fellow progressives to not push for a ban on minors contributing to political candidates. Since age 16, I have often taken $20 out of my pocket (from off the book jobs) every now and then to donate to 501(C)(3)s, groups like MoveOn and progressive political candidates. If I had not had that opportunity, I would not have the strong, personal connection to politics that I have today.

[flathead]

I agree. I did the same thing - I was a member of the NAACP and ACLU as a teenager, with my own money.

[Richterscale]

Gosh, here's a wacky idea....

Why not actually work for a cause. I throw money into the Salvation Army Bucket, but guess what... that doesn't give me a 'strong personal connection' to their cause.

[shelbinator]

There are family bundlers all across the spectrum. Just going alphabetically looking for "Student" as occupation reveals the Agatston brothers -- one an '07 college grad, one a college sophomore -- who both donated $4600 apiece to Hillary Clinton in Q207, just like their parents (including cardiologist dad) did in 1Q07!

[Corylando]

Wow... there is something that is just... wrong and inherently creepy about using your kids like this. Its like someone using their kids to sell drugs or renting out a daughter for... God knows what... So wrong.

[jaykay65]

We live in Massachusetts. In Massachusetts, unlike in Ohio, we live in a single party state.

Doesn't this twit know that Romney was the REPUBLICAN governor of Massachusetts?

This may be a very blue state, but the last few governors we've had were Republicans. It's NOT a "one party state".

[Richterscale]

I live in Massachusetts also.
I'm not sure where you live, but on every ballot I've ever seen, there are always Republican, Democrat, and the occasional third and fourth party candidates.
Perhaps, you should contact your local election officials to find out what's wrong with your ballots

[oldgringo]

Shell games are older than the old testament and have been played by nomadic herders/raiders for thousands of years....
So what else is neu?

[mikeporter]

"So, it is important when you don't agree with the ruling party to make your feelings known."

Republicans are the ruling presidential party. Do you disagree with Bush? ;)

[JimReed]

"We feel it is their responsibility as it is ours to give to things that we believe in. That's our family story."

That sounds conservative.

[asl3676]

As long as the kids don't have to serve in the military.....

Now that sounds like a true Conservative

[JimReed]

The kids can serve the nation by working on the Romney election campaign.

[Pdubya]

bottom line? he doesn't have as much money to spend in the general election as the portrayed amount of funds available. he's loaned his campaign more money than anyone.