The New Jersey congressional candidate acknowledges using campaign funds to cover childcare costs while running for office

NEW JERSEY — Democratic congressional candidate Rebecca Bennett has used more than $21,000 in campaign contributions to pay for childcare expenses while seeking to unseat Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr., according to a review of federal campaign-finance filings reported by Fox News.

Bennett’s campaign reportedly spent $21,250 on childcare beginning in June 2025, an arrangement she has publicly defended as necessary to campaign full time.

At a candidate debate last week, Bennett refused to disclose her net worth. During that debate hosted by the New Jersey Globe editor David Wildstein, Wildstein pressed Bennett on her financial net worth, but she deflected three times.

The expenditures have become an issue in New Jersey’s competitive 7th Congressional District race, with Republicans questioning why campaign donors are covering the candidate’s family-related expenses.

The questions are particularly relevant to the nature of the childcare being provided. Bennett is the mother of two daughters, and questions have been raised about whether the expenses involve school-age or high-school-age children rather than infants or preschoolers.

However, the children’s exact ages and grade levels have not been independently established through the available reporting. Bennett’s campaign website states that one daughter attends public school while the other receives childcare.

Federal election rules do not automatically prohibit childcare expenses for older children. Instead, the determining factor is whether the expense resulted directly from campaign activities.

Bennett says campaign donations help make childcare affordable

According to an October 5 report by Save Jersey, Bennett discussed using campaign donations for childcare during a podcast interview.

“That’s how we’re able to make the math work,” Bennett said while explaining how the arrangement enabled her to campaign full time.

The report, citing Fox News’s review of Federal Election Commission records, identified $21,250 in childcare expenditures beginning in June 2025.

The available reporting does not provide a complete transaction-by-transaction accounting identifying every childcare provider, the dates and hours of service or the specific campaign activities associated with each payment.

Those details would be necessary to independently evaluate whether every expenditure satisfied federal election requirements.

What does the FEC allow candidates to spend on childcare?

The Federal Election Commission’s personal-use rules prohibit candidates from spending campaign donations on expenses they would ordinarily incur regardless of running for office.

However, the commission permits campaign funds to cover childcare expenses arising directly from campaign activities.

In a 2019 advisory opinion, the FEC approved childcare spending for a congressional candidate who needed additional care for her children to participate in campaign activities.

The commission also emphasized that expenses unrelated to campaigning must be paid personally.

The rules distinguish childcare from ordinary education expenses. Private school tuition generally cannot be paid with campaign funds because it is considered a personal expense.

There is no verified evidence in the available records that Bennett used campaign donations to pay private high school tuition. The reported expenditures were classified as childcare.

Children’s ages raise additional questions about spending

Bennett has frequently discussed the challenges of balancing parenting with a congressional campaign.

In August, she posted a video describing the two-week period between the end of summer camp and the beginning of school as a childcare “dead zone.”

Bennett questioned how working parents were expected to manage their schedules when summer programs ended before school resumed.

The experience was previously covered by Shore News Network.

The latest campaign-finance controversy raises questions about exactly what services were purchased with campaign funds.

Childcare for school-age children can include supervision outside school hours, summer programs and other arrangements necessary when parents are working.

The FEC does not categorically prohibit those expenses because a child attends school. What matters is whether the expenses would have existed without the campaign.

Neither the reported $21,250 total nor the campaign’s public explanation establishes the nature of every payment.

Republicans launch advertising campaign against Bennett

The National Republican Congressional Committee launched an advertisement October 5 criticizing Bennett’s use of campaign funds for childcare while questioning her opposition to federal legislation that expanded certain family tax benefits.

The NRCC’s announcement accused Bennett of benefiting from campaign-funded childcare while opposing tax policies supported by Kean.

Republicans have highlighted provisions in the federal tax law increasing the maximum Child Tax Credit and expanding dependent-care flexible spending account limits.

Bennett has opposed the broader Republican legislation, particularly its healthcare provisions.

Opposition to a large legislative package, however, does not necessarily mean a candidate opposes every individual provision contained within it.

Bennett campaign says spending complies with federal law

Bennett’s campaign maintains that the expenditures are lawful and consistent with Federal Election Commission guidance.

On its campaign fact-checking page, Bennett’s campaign defends the use of campaign funds for childcare directly associated with political activities.

The campaign also emphasizes Bennett’s proposal to limit childcare expenses for families to 7% of household income.

Bennett is challenging Kean in the November 3 election, where affordability and family expenses have become central campaign issues.