Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D., N.Y.) received nearly a half million dollars as a gift from her foreign in-laws, according to the senator’s 2015 tax statements.
Gillibrand received $457,200 from her husband’s British parents, according to the tax documents. The gift accounted for 58 percent of her family income, outpacing her and her husband’s earnings by $100,000.
Corruption watchdogs said that the staggering size of the gift raises questions. Matthew Whitaker, a former U.S attorney and director of the ethics watchdog Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust, said that the gift could be a problem ethically if Gillibrand uses her personal fortune to finance her reelection campaign.
"The unusual cash gift the Gillibrands received from their in-laws certainly raises a few eyebrows considering it was over $100,000, more than their annual family income," Whitaker said. "This also poses a potential ethical quandary for Senator Gillibrand if she decides to personally fund her re-election campaign."
Whitaker noted this is not the first time a lawmaker has gotten into hot water over money from relatives. A 2015 Federal Election Commission report found that Rep. Frank Guinta (R., N.H.) lied about a personal loan of $380,000 for his congressional campaign, which had come from his parents.
Whitaker said Gillibrand’s gift could pose an issue for the second-term senator because of the money’s overseas origins. Foreign nationals are prohibited from donating to U.S. political campaigns. The gift also exceeds the campaign donation limit.
The gift should not be an issue as long as the Gillibrands "make sure they don't use that money for political purposes," Whitaker said.
Gillibrand is up for re-election in 2018. She did not respond to requests for comment.