Exclusive: Dems: McCain broke own law

By: Mike Allen
October 25, 2008 10:12 AM EST

Democratic officials tell Politico that they plan to file a Federal Election Commission complaint on Monday accusing the McCain campaign of being “a serial violator” of campaign finance laws.

In one case, Russia's ambassador to the United Nations was solicited for a donation. But the McCain campaign says that’s because his name was on a list rented from Foreign Affairs magazine.

The Republican National Committee filed two complaints against the Obama campaign over the past two weeks.

The Democratic National Committee complaint is interesting because Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has made campaign finance reform one of his signature issues on Capitol Hill.

DNC General Counsel Joe Sandler said: "The McCain campaign's lack of disclosure and disregard for the law he helped write raises serious questions about John McCain's commitment to the openness and transparency the voters expect from their leaders."

The four-page Democratic complaint charges: “The McCain campaign, already a serial violator of the federal campaign finance laws, including the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 popularly known as the McCain-Feingold law, evidently chosen to ignore some of the most fundamental and basic requirements of that law. ... [T]he Commission should find reason to believe that the McCain Campaign has violated the [Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971] and the Commission’s rules, and should conduct a prompt investigation.”

http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=31744685-18FE-70B2-A8F4006535ABEBFA

Democrats claim McCain violating fundraising rules

By JIM KUHNHENN – 4 days ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Democratic Party plans to file a complaint with federal regulators that accuses Republican John McCain's presidential campaign of various violations of campaign finance law.

In a letter to the Federal Election Commission to be submitted Monday, the Democratic National Committee alleges McCain has received donations from 6,653 individuals who exceeded the legal $2,300 limit by at least $1,000 and 23 donation in excess of $50 from anonymous donors. The DNC cited one donor who appeared to have given more than $56,000.

The complaint is based in part on data that the McCain campaign provides on its Web site — an extra step of disclosure not required by election laws. The campaign of Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential nominee, does not disclose as much information about its donors as McCain does. Obama only reports the identities of donors who give $200 or more — the legal requirement.

The McCain campaign said Saturday that transactions on its Web site are only updated monthly and do not necessarily reflect corrections that the campaign routinely undertakes.

Complaints to the FEC are not uncommon. The Republican National Committee has filed two complaints this month alleging that Obama's campaign has received illegal contributions from foreigners and donations that exceed federal limits.

In their own complaint, Democrats cite the McCain campaign's refund of $50,000 raised by a Jordanian citizen and mentions a fundraising appeal from McCain mistakenly sent to Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin. Foreign nationals are prohibited from contributing to political campaigns.

"The McCain campaign's lack of disclosure and disregard for the law he helped write raises serious questions about John McCain's commitment to the openness and transparency the voters expect from their leaders," said DNC General Counsel Joe Sandler.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5joC4LlcZVm5kR-hSO7HEOm4ns-1wD941KDT80