The scheme managed by Karen Waters has raked in hundreds of thousands of dollars from California politicians who pay to be included in her "slate mailers" - sample ballots mailed out to around 200,000 Los Angeles voters which promote who Waters endorses. 

Since 2004, the campaign in turn reportedly has paid $750,000 to the congresswoman's daughter, Karen Waters, or her public relations firm Progressive Connections for help producing them.

A government watchdog in July filed the first of two complaints with the Federal Election Commission asking for a full audit of the Citizens for Waters campaign. -Fox News

Waters, the California Democratic State Central Committee and Sen. Kamala Harris are all named in the first complaint. Of note, Harris is a likely 2020 Democratic presidential contender.