Toxic donations: Candidates rush to dump funds from Swalwell and Gonzales
APRIL 16, 2026 Leading the news this week: With Rep. Eric Swalwell and Rep. Tony Gonzales heading for the exit, candidates who received support from the two disgraced lawmakers are racing to give away their money. Also in this newsletter: FedEx and UPS, shipping giants poised to benefit from the Postal Service's financial problems, spent a combined $20 billion lobbying the federal government last year. Voters in at least three states will get to determine the outcome of proposals to change campaign finance laws. The Chart of the Week examines the billion-dollar battle over the environment. Toxic money: Swalwell and Gonzales sent now-unwanted thousands to other campaigns Before they stepped down this week under mounting pressure, Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) and Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) had distributed thousands of dollars to other candidates through their leadership political action committees. Amid the public outcry against those departing lawmakers, though, some recipien...