I think Kim and her donors were played by connected and experienced conmen who have played this game hundreds of times before.

The saddest part is she probably won her district but her war chest was drained by 'consultants' who never intended on doing anything for her but send inflated invoices and cash the checks. Once her war chest was drained she had no money to fight the fraud that cost her a win.

A principled woman taken to the cleaners by con men.