Watchdog claims bloviating Booker broke the law by fundraising off marathon speech

From March 31, until April 1, 2025, a 25-hour speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate showed that Sen. Cory Booker thinks what Democrats need right now is more talk without action.

Now, a nonpartisan ethics watchdog has called for an investigation into allegations that the neoliberal New Jersey lawmaker broke the law by improperly linking his marathon floor speech to campaign fundraising efforts.

Federal law, Senate Rules, and related standards of conduct prohibit senators from using official resources for campaign activity.

The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) filed a formal complaint with the Senate Ethics Committee on April 8, 2025, urging scrutiny of communications sent by Booker’s campaign during and after his 25-hour speech on March 31.

“The Senator appears to have violated Senate Ethics Rules by directly linking official actions with solicitations for campaign contributions,” said a release from FACT.

“As if New Jersey did not suffer enough embarrassment by the actions of his good friend, Gold Bar Bob Menendez, Cory Booker disgracefully used the Senate chamber as a stage for political theater designed to fill his campaign coffers,” said Lisa McCormick, the anti-establishment progressive Democrat who challenged Menendez in the 2018 primary election. “Senate ethics rules explicitly prohibit lawmakers from connecting their official duties with fundraising appeals, yet Senator Booker appears to have done precisely that.”

Booker’s speech, which expressed concerns about corporate influence on democracy, was promoted in advance on his campaign social media accounts.

During and after the address, his campaign disseminated emails and text messages encouraging supporters to donate to his reelection fund and the Democratic National Committee (DNC).

One message, titled “We must speak up,” stated: “If you were inspired by what you saw today, split a contribution between Cory Booker and the DNC,” accompanied by a donation link.

Another said, “We’re emailing because Cory can’t right now. If you haven’t been following, he’s been on the floor of the United States Senate speaking all night, and he’s still going.” That one contained a link to subscribe to an email list that next asked people for a contribution.

FACT contends these solicitations directly tied campaign fundraising to an official Senate action, violating rules prohibiting members from using their positions for personal or political gain.

“While the form of his longwinded speech resembled a filibuster — a prolonged discourse intended obstruct or delay legislative action — blowhard Booker’s feckless address was not aimed at any proposed law,” said McCormick. “This was a fundraising gimmick. A day-long exercise in listening to himself accompanied by emails, tweets, and paid advertising that was intended to make a bloviating parasite appear worthy of cash donations and possibly, the 2028 presidential nomination.”

McCormick said she agrees with Booker’s view that the executive orders, mass firings and insane tariff threats of the Trump administration are eroding democracy, exacerbating the climate crisis and destroying life-saving programs needed by both Americans and people around the world.

She argued that a progressive agenda backed up with direct action are needed to turn the tide, instead of self-aggrandizing words.

“For the most part, the 25-hour speech was just Booker talking about the first months of Trump’s administration,” said McCormick. “This did not change anything. It did not stop Trump, it did not stop Elon Musk, it did not punish Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for his capitulation and betrayal, which is something I would be doing if I defeated Bob Menendez, who Cory Booker called ‘a moral voice in the Senate’ that he was ‘proud to support’ but instead of someone normal, who would take action, voters picked a guy who likes to hear himself talk.”

In its complaint, FACT highlighted Senate Ethics Manual guidelines barring senators from soliciting contributions based on official duties, emphasizing the need to avoid even the “appearance” of impropriety. The group argued that Booker’s actions risked framing the Senate floor as a “campaign venue,” incentivizing colleagues to prioritize fundraising appeal over legislative merit.

The complaint cited six specific campaign messages sent between April 1 and April 2, which included requests for contributions, links to Booker’s campaign store, and prompts to join his mailing list.

FACT Executive Director Kendra Arnold warned that such tactics could erode public trust by implying that “official actions can be influenced by campaign contributions.”

“The ethics rules draw a clear line between official government business and campaign activity, and it is important these rules are enforced to prevent Congress from simply becoming a venue for campaigning,” said Arnold. “Ethics Rules do not allow what is clearly performance art on the Senate floor for future political gain, whether that be for list-building or fundraising.”

The U.S. Senate Select Committee on Ethics, chaired by Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford and vice-chaired by Delaware Democratic Sen. Chris Coons, has not yet commented on whether it will open an inquiry.

McCormick noted that the Senate Ethics Committee found that Senator Lindsey Graham—who joined Booker by testifying on Menendez’s behalf at his 2017 criminal trial—solicited federal campaign contributions and otherwise impermissibly conducted campaign activity in a federal building on March 23, 2023.

The panel previously admonished the other New Jersey lawmaker who was ultimately convicted for his criminal behavior and if they are diligent with the Booker case, the panel can claim a hat trick for the three amigos,” said McCormick.

Booker’s office has not responded to the allegations.

FACT’s complaint underscores longstanding ethical boundaries separating official duties from political activities.

The group noted that while some senators adopt practices to “strictly separate fundraising from substantive legislative activities,” Booker’s approach blurred these lines.

The outcome of the complaint could set a precedent for how the Senate addresses the interplay between legislative actions and campaign strategies.

The full complaint is available on FACT’s website.