Trump’s campaign wants to prevent Biden from transferring money to Harris, files complaint with FEC.
Donald Trump’s campaign has made an explosive move by filing a complaint with the Federal Election Commission against President Biden, Vice President Harris, the Biden campaign, and campaign treasurer Keana Spencer. The complaint alleges that the transfer of funds from the Biden reelection campaign to the Harris presidential campaign violates campaign finance rules.
According to the Trump campaign’s general counsel, David Warrington, Kamala Harris is attempting to orchestrate a $91.5 million heist of Joe Biden’s leftover campaign funds. This brazen money grab is claimed to be the single largest excessive contribution and most significant violation in the history of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971.
Warrington accuses Harris of filing fraudulent forms with the Commission to repurpose one candidate’s principal campaign committee for the use of another candidate. He asserts that Harris simply replaced Biden’s name with her own on the forms without filing her own Statement of Candidacy, which he deems unlawful.
Warrington further argues that there is no provision in federal campaign finance law for Kamala Harris to take over Joe Biden’s candidacy through amending forms and assuming control of his campaign. He maintains that Harris attempting to inherit Biden’s campaign and coffers is a violation of campaign finance laws.
However, the Harris campaign refutes these claims, stating that the campaign was originally registered with the FEC as the principal campaign committee for both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. They argue that if Harris became the nominee, she would legally have access to the campaign funds as per FEC regulations.
Recent reports indicate that Harris’ campaign experienced a significant surge, raising over $100 million in donations within a 24-hour period following Biden’s endorsement. This fundraising success underscores the support behind Harris as she emerges as the Democratic nominee.
In the complaint, Warrington also accuses Biden’s campaign of making an excessive contribution to Harris, describing it as a thinly veiled transfer of $91.5 million from one presidential candidate to another. He emphasizes that such a move violates campaign finance laws and the ethical standards of political fundraising.
Moreover, the Trump campaign argues that since Biden withdrew from the race before transferring funds to Harris, he is not permitted to retain the contributions, further complicating the legal implications of the transaction.
To address these alleged violations, the Trump campaign calls on the FEC to intervene immediately and initiate enforcement action. They seek to enjoin the illegal fund transfer, impose a civil penalty commensurate with the scale of the violation, and refer the matter to the Department of Justice for prosecution.
The campaign asserts that Kamala Harris is on the brink of committing the most substantial campaign finance violation in American history and urges the Commission to act swiftly to prevent further breaches of the law. They underscore the importance of upholding the integrity of campaign finance regulations to preserve the will of donors and ensure fair election practices.
This move by the Trump campaign comes amid speculations from allies about potential court challenges to contest Biden’s withdrawal from the race and Vice President Kamala Harris’ ascension to the presidential candidacy. While some have entertained the possibility of legal battles, election law experts believe that such attempts to impede Harris’ candidacy are unlikely to succeed in federal courts.
