Pappas Blames ‘Clerical Error’ for Breaking No Corporate PAC Money Pledge; Refunds $5,000 Contribution
Leonard Robinson
NH Journal
July 21, 2026
U.S. Senate candidate Chris Pappas accepted a $5,000 check from an energy-industry corporate PAC, federal records show, an apparent violation of the Democrat’s oft-repeated pledge not to “take a dime of corporate PAC money.”
But after being contacted by NHJournal about the contribution, the campaign blamed a “clerical error” and claimed it was refunding the money.
According to Federal Election Commission records, Pappas received the contribution from the NV Energy Political Action Committee, which the FEC classifies as a “corporation PAC,” on April 15. The $5,000 contribution is the maximum the PAC can give per election.
The donation was specifically designated for Pappas’ primary race, where Pappas faces token opposition, allowing the PAC to donate another $5,000 for the general election if they choose.
According to a Pappas campaign webpage, “Chris is running a people-powered campaign and taking on corporate special interests — all without taking a dime of corporate PAC money.”
Pappas reiterated that stance in his June campaign newsletter. “When I first ran for Congress, I made the decision that I wouldn’t take a dime of corporate PAC money.”
At first, the Pappas campaign declined to respond to NHJournal’s questions about the $5,000 check. But late Tuesday night, the campaign sent a one-sentence email:
“The check was cashed in a clerical error, has been refunded, and our reports will be amended.”
However, this corporate PAC contribution glitch is not Pappas’ only FEC-related problem.
While Pappas is campaigning on an “anti-corruption” agenda, he has yet to file his latest financial disclosure with the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, as required.
Financial disclosures for House members were due May 15, but Pappas requested an extension moving his deadline to mid-August. Requesting an extension is entirely legal, and many members of Congress have done so. But Pappas’ case is notable because this is the third consecutive year he has requested an extension for this basic financial paperwork.
Why?
Interestingly, Pappas’ string of extension requests began in 2023, four months after he married his husband, Vann Bentley, a former Amazon lobbyist who now holds a senior executive position with Uber.
According to the financial disclosures Pappas eventually filed, Bentley’s compensation from Uber includes a significant number of shares in the company. Based on the filings, Pappas and his husband hold Uber stock valued at between $150,000 and $350,000.
The Washington Free Beacon reports that Uber lobbyists have individually contributed $5,250 so far to Pappas’ Senate campaign, allowing Pappas to keep the money without violating his anti-corporate-PAC pledge.
And then there’s the potential conflict-of-interest angle highlighted by Pappas’ likely GOP opponent, John E. Sununu.
“(Pappas) sits on the powerful Transportation Committee and, obviously, having a family member who works for Uber — one of the biggest transportation companies in America — is a potential conflict of interest,” Sununu told radio host Chris Ryan on Monday.
“And the fact that he’s achieved nothing on the Transportation Committee is even more damning. Eight years, and New Hampshire is still dead last in federal highway funding in New England.”
Uber spent a whopping $1.5 million on lobbying in the first quarter alone, according to the Free Beacon. Bentley, who is not registered as an Uber lobbyist, has also sought to influence entities that regulate the San Francisco-based ride-sharing company.
As for the corporate PAC contribution, this is not the first time Pappas has broken a campaign-finance pledge.
In 2022, Pappas signed the No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge organized by Oil Change U.S., a political 501(c)(4) organization associated with left-wing environmental groups.
That pledge did not prevent Pappas from later cashing a $2,500 check from Vincent Roberti, the lead lobbyist for Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline. Politico reported that Roberti’s firm had earned more than $9 million in lobbying revenue from Nord Stream 2.
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