DNC: Investigate McCain For Election Law Violations

WASHINGTON — Democratic Party officials plan to file a new lawsuit to compel federal regulators to investigate whether Sen. John McCain violated election laws by withdrawing from public financing.

The Democratic National Committee announced Tuesday it will sue next week in U.S. District Court. It will ask the court to order the Federal Election Commission to examine, within 30 days, the legality of McCain's decision to reject $5.8 million in taxpayer funds.

By turning down the money, the presumed Republican nominee was able avoid strict spending limits between now and the GOP's national convention in September.

At issue is a $4 million line of credit the McCain campaign obtained late last year. While the loan was not secured by the promise of public funds, his agreement with the bank required McCain to reapply for public funds if he lost early primary contests and to use that money as collateral.

The DNC filed a complaint with the FEC in February, arguing that the bank arrangement violated federal regulations. But the six-member FEC has been unable to act because it doesn't have a quorum. Four nominees are awaiting Senate confirmation.

In throwing out an earlier DNC lawsuit, a federal judge pointed out that federal rules give the FEC up to 120 days to act on a complaint. That deadline expires next Tuesday.

McCain's campaign and his bankers adamantly deny that they used the public funds as collateral. On Tuesday, Republican National Committee chief counsel Sean Cairncross called the suit "meritless," and noted that McCain was entitled to withdraw from the public finance system because he did not receive any public funds during the primary.

Still, FEC Chairman David Mason in February asked McCain to explain the terms of the loan and informed McCain that he would need approval from the full FEC before withdrawing from public financing. McCain's campaign said it did not need such approval.

Comments

[ThePublicRecord]

http://www.pubrecord.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=139&Itemid=8

Top Pentagon Officials Developed Brutal Interrogation Methods at Guantanamo

Top Pentagon officials developed the harsh interrogation methods used against detainees at Guantanamo less than a month before the Justice Department issued two now repudiated memorandums that gave interrogators legal cover to employ the tactics, according to documents released Tuesday by the Senate Armed Services Committee.

[WinterStorm]

What has happened to our country? We are where we are because of the corporate controlled media. The sickness in this maneuver by McCain is that Washington journalists will continue to give this guy a pass. This story was all the rage last summer when the loan took place. Remember, McCain’s flailing campaign, the surrogates leaving because they couldn’t get paid. Jeez…I ask again…What has happened to our country?~~~~W

[emmaspeaks]

Excuse my sarcasm, but doesn't he get a pass because he is a war hero. He's entitled.

[CindyKay]

Don't You mean War Zero ?

[realtalk]

The press would love 4 years of the screw ups of John McCain, to report, and complain about. It's like they want John McCain to win, just so they will have 4 disasterous years of things to report about, after all, reporters, and news stations are in their safe jobs reporting the news, and making their huge paycheck, they don't have anything to worry about.

[alguien]

what difference would it make? it's not as if he's got bundles to spend anyhow.

[kkuate]

John McCain was against torture, now he is for it.
John McCain was for Roe vs. Wade, now he is against it.
John McCain was not concerned about the national debt, he still isn't.
John McCain doesn not have a plan to extend health insurance to the needy, he still doesn't.
John McCain is not concerned to learn about our education crises, he never was.
John McCain admitted ignorance about the economy.
What happened to the Maverick we used to admire?
How come he embraced so suddenly the Bush Doctrine?

[realtalk]

McCain will do and say anything to get elected.

[mrBlue1]

Yep. Like GWB, McBush needs to prove himself a better man than daddy, by trumping Daddy's high naval rank with the position of Commander in Chief. He also needs to make Iraq the victory that never happened in Nam. It's a man thang!

[DrDemon]

----> To Be Continued.­..

[riverhouse]

It's a move representative of not taking crap from the GOP this time around. It signals that the Democrats are going to be pushovers, aren't going to look away or ignore any opportunity to bring the GOP and McCain to heel. I like the idea. Make McCain account for his position here. Tie up his time and money. I think the Democrats need to check the GOP at every turn.

[keepemhonest]

John McCain breaks FEC laws.

Cindy McCain breaks Copyright Laws.

Just what we need - another Republican who breaks laws!

[VicksieDo]

Why bother, even so, he has no chance of winning :-)

[StandUpAmerica08]

While you're at it check his DNA for that senile gene.

[Micaanab]

Imagine if McCain was dropped as the Repub nominee. They could throw a conservative in there that is against the Bush admin.
In other words, McCain was testing the waters. What do the repubs have to loose. They were already loosing the White House with McCain. I think Obama might struggle against a guy like Romney.

[utd]

Struggle against Romney... that's laughable. Do you realize how many Christians are in the Republican party? You know what they think about Mormons right? Romney is allowed to be in the room becasue him and his church have a lot of money they give to the Republicans. At the end of the day though the social conservatives in their party would like to see the Mormons wiped off the earth, and Romney along with it. He would be able to carry Utah in the GE, and get blown out everywhere else pretty much.

[mcole]

you have to be kidding right? obama would struggle with NO ONE in the GOP right now, NO ONE...

mcain is only being propped up by his fading fake image as a maverick..­imagine running againts a full GOP hardliner.­.....

[Meggie]

it's about time. also investigate some of his backers and fundraisers. too much corruption to mention! agree with other posters that GOP may pull this guy.

[el8usa]

Frankly, I do either not buy the Cindy tax returns ...
kind of fix in order to downplay the obligation she has to face!

Just doubt!

[Wiredwilly]

No wonder the Democrats always lose. They go after THIS and ignore Kucinich''s 35 Point Resolution to Impeachment George W. Bush. Many people will LIKE the idea that McCain turned down taxpayer money.

[donaldw6]

I was going to say, the FEC doesn't even have a quorum, right, and noticed the article said exactly that. A lot of good this is going to do.

[larry278]

Probably off thread, check out CQ BEHIND THE LINES they refer to a story about JSMcC as a POW. This could be a reason why there are rumors about McCain pulling out of the race. I wonder if Gore Vidal knwe of this when he was interviewed by NYT MAGAZINE on Sun. When Vidal is close mouthed about something, it means trouble.
larry lynch

[Jan6]

Please provide a link for the CQ article.
Thanks

[desertdweller]

A link to the CQ story would be nice......

[Max7073]

Yesterday I read a blog here that said the GOP were going to ditch McCain at their convention and install someone else. I've wondered about that for some time and considering his performance I think that is possible. This would pave the way.

[kellygrrrl]

naw! He is the annointed Sacrificial Lamb

they know they're going to lose and they're throwing him to the lions

[Myshkin57]

I don't see it. If they did that, they'd lose for sure.

[heal57]

Pave the way for who? There's not a worthy Republican candidate out there anywhere; just think about it. Repubs, bring it on cause no matter who it is, Obama will be our President!

[mrBlue1]

Hope your right, but don't forget DIEBOLD and ROVE.

[Cybesq]

Unless they can find a way to bring back Ronald Reagan from the dead, Obama is our next President.

[CitizenFace]

That piece was completely speculative and baseless. Dream on.

[Kwaayesnama]

Ok!
Lets think about this?
McCain is the canditate who is a third Bush term.
This is the man who voted to send our bravest to die looking for weapons of mass destruction that did not exist.
This is the man who does not know that 9-11 was caused by Osama Bin Laden not Sedam Hussein.
This is the man who does not know if the Sunnis or Sheits are our enemies!
This is the man who put our government on the Japan, Saudi Arabia credit card.
This is the man has adopted virtually the entire Bush agenda, often reversing long held positions and compromising supposed core principles. From Iraq, tax cuts for the wealthy, broken promises on the deficit to opposition to SCHIP, tax credits for health care, overturning Roe v. Wade and a right-wing Supreme Court, John McCain represents a third Bush term.
Our only hope is Obama.

[tsog]

Honestly, lets face it. Voters as a group are quite fickle. A lot end up voting on meaningless wedge issues. Taking that in to account and of course the previous comment, this election is Obama's to loose.

Let's see the debates, common already!

[mrBlue1]

Any other election year after any other 8 year presidency, I might agree with you, but fickle just ain't going to cut it this time! People are hurting, BAD. They are scared, even more of what's happening with the economy (aka: their wallet) than any old terrorist threat. Hell, the terrorists already did a number on us in more ways than 911, with the help of the Bush cabal. I saw a huge line of people at a local food bank, middle class looking people and businesses are closing forever because people just can't afford to go out and spend money. People this year are BEYOND FICKLE.