McCain Ignores McCain-Feingold
Mar 23, 02:12 PM CST
John McCain ignored the rules set forth by the very law that bears his name when his campaign broke spending limits put in place by McCain-Feingold:
The senator from Arizona has spent $58.4 million on his Republican primary effort. Those who have committed to public financing can spend no more than $54 million on their primary bid.
McCain’s lawyers contend that the spending cap no longer applies. The senator was certified to enter the matching-funds program last year when he was starved for cash. But once he started to win, he decided to hold off. On Feb. 6, after his Super Tuesday victories, he wrote to the Federal Election Commission to announce he would withdraw. His lawyers said that gave him freedom to spend as much as he wanted.
But David Mason, chairman of the commission, wrote to McCain’s campaign last month to alert him that the commission had not yet granted that withdrawal request, and that the commission would first have to vote on the matter. One snag is that the commission has four vacancies and therefore lacks a quorum to consider the matter.
McCain has used his qualification for public funds as both a collateral for a loan to his campaign as well as a way to gain access to the ballot in Ohio. This should erase any doubt that he’s benefited from the public funds program.
Of course, McCain’s lawyers will dance around the issue and might get him out of trouble (having written the law, who would be better at circumventing it?) but these ethically-suspect maneuverings should end all doubt that McCain has any interest in cleaning up the political process.
(hat tip to DailyKos)
– by Eric Van Horn | Send this to a friend
