The Cross, the Grift, and the Debt: Karoline Leavitt’s Campaign Trail of Broken Promises

The story of how a failed campaign, some illegal checks, and a well-timed press secretary gig became one unholy trifecta

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt may proudly wear a cross around her neck, but her campaign filings suggest she skipped the whole “do unto others” part of the sermon.

While serving as the smirking mouthpiece of Donald Trump’s second coming, Leavitt’s own political past is catching up to her and not in a good way. According to newly released FEC filings, her failed 2022 congressional campaign is still drowning in over $320,000 of unpaid debt. That might be forgivable if she were making an honest effort to repay the hundred-plus donors she still owes. But she’s not. Instead, she quietly paid back just five of them, including her own parents.

That’s right. In January, as the campaign hemorrhaged red ink and dozens of small donors waited for refunds of illegal or excessive contributions, Leavitt’s team cut $2,900 checks to both Mom and Dad. Because what’s a little campaign finance law when family dinner’s on the line?

The rest of the campaign’s outstanding debt reads like a greatest hits album of FEC violations. Nearly $200,000 came from contributions that exceeded federal limits. Another $38,000 came from businesses, corporate donations that are flatly illegal under federal law. None of those funds have been returned. Not a cent. And the deadline to refund most of it passed months ago.

Yet somehow, the woman who stood at the White House podium last week wagging her finger at “Democrat corruption” hasn’t addressed any of this publicly. No explanation, nor an apology. Just a quiet reshuffling of debts, a few checks for the family ledger, and a growing cloud of impropriety wafting behind her like the smell of week-old MAGA merch.

Ethics experts are sounding the alarm, warning that Leavitt’s campaign may be using her new platform to attract backdoor donations and influence, as she looks for ways to mop up the mess. And if you think Trump’s DOJ is going to investigate one of their own, bless your heart and enjoy the fairytale.

There’s something uniquely American about this particular brand of grift: slap on a crucifix, cry persecution, and deflect every question with a furious press conference about “illegals” or drag queens. Rinse, repeat, and leave your unpaid donors twisting in the wind.

And if you're one of those donors? Don’t expect a refund anytime soon. Karoline Leavitt’s got God, Trump, and a government salary now. What more could she need?