Last November, when Peachtree City residents were deciding who should be on City Council, a political committee run by Rep. Brian Jack sent $500 to one of the candidates. A month later, Jack’s campaign sent a far bigger check to the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC). Those two checks point to a part of campaign finance most voters never see. We already know congressional campaigns are expensive. We know corporations and wealthy people give a lot of money, and we know some of them seek greater access to elected officials. None of that is news. What I wanted to understand was something else: When someone writes a check to our congressman, where does that money actually go? A big share of the money raised in Jack’s name never goes toward his own re-election. Meanwhile, his Democratic challenger, Maura Keller, runs a much smaller campaign, and almost all of her money stays in her race. None of this is improper. It is how the system is built to work for a member in Jack’s position. But it means a donation to Brian Jack can also be a donation to something much bigger, and that says a lot about where money in politics stands today. I sent both campaigns questions by email, and both answered in writing. Jack’s campaign responded through a spokesperson and included a statement from the congressman. Keller’s campaign manager, Alex Waterson, answered for her. Their answers appear throughout this story. Let’s start with the bigger of the two checks, the one Jack’s…
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