The leadership political action committee of Republican Bill Johnson, who left Congress on Jan. 21 to become Youngstown State University president, gave approximately $7,242 in July to a booster organization that helps support the school’s student-athletes.

Belief in Life and Liberty PAC (Bill’s PAC) gave the Penguin Club a $2,000 donation on July 24 and then a $5,242 donation a day later, according to its Monday monthly filing with the Federal Election Commission.

In late June, Johnson moved the $873,721 he had left in his congressional account — and closed that fund — to a PAC that existed for less than three weeks and then finally to his leadership PAC.

Shortly after that, Johnson said he wanted to use some of the remaining money to benefit YSU.

Johnson gave $1,000 to the Penguin Club on Jan. 26, five days after he started as YSU president.

The Penguin Club is a booster organization that supports YSU student-athletes participating in 21 Division I sports, providing scholarships and grants for tuition, books, room and board, according to the website of the university’s athletics department.

Giving the money directly to the university is likely not permissible under FEC laws.

Johnson is permitted to make an unlimited financial transfer to any national, state or local political party.

Johnson said last month that he is undecided if he was going to give money to candidates.

Heading into July, his PAC had $875,330.46.

During the month of July, Bill’s PAC made $2,210 in interest and spent $12,228. In addition to the Penguin Club donations, the PAC spent $2,739.83 on compliance services and $2,175 on software in July.

It had $865,312.04 in the fund as of July 31.

Bill’s PAC notified the FEC on Jan. 15 that it was going to file monthly after reporting quarterly. The filing deadline for this latest report is Aug. 20, but Johnson’s PAC filed eight days early.

Leadership PACs are established by members of Congress and other political leaders to support candidates for federal and nonfederal offices, according to the FEC.

Johnson represented the 6th Congressional District for 13 years before his Jan. 21 resignation to become YSU president.

When Johnson was planning to run for reelection before his YSU hire, his committee raised $860,848 and spent $1,047,891 in 2023.

Because of a large surplus from previous campaigns, he ended 2023 with a near $1 million surplus in his fund. It would have been even more but Johnson gave a $235,000 contribution on Nov. 29 to the National Republican Congressional Committee as part of an overall spending amount of $402,583.28 during 2023’s fourth quarter.

Johnson also closed the Johnson Leads Committee on Feb. 15. That was a joint fundraising committee formed by Johnson’s now-closed campaign committee, Bill’s PAC and the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Republican Michael Rulli of Salem won a June 11 special election for Johnson’s unexpired term. Rulli resigned his state senator position the day after the election and was sworn in June 25 to the U.S. House.

Rulli will run Nov. 5 against Democratic Michael L. Kripchak of Youngstown, who he defeated by 9.7% in the June 11 special election, for a full two-year term in the Nov. 5 general election.

The 6th Congressional District includes all of Mahoning, Columbiana, Carroll, Jefferson, Belmont, Harrison, Monroe, Noble and Washington counties and portions of Stark and Tuscarawas counties.