RECENT POSTS
- Oprah, Health Care Lobbyists, Among Recent Visitors to White House
- An Obama Thanksgiving Menu, with an Extra Serving of Pie
- White House Thanksgiving Traditions: Broken and Observed
- Obama, GOP Air Differences Over Jobs, Economy In Thanksgiving Addresses
- White House State Dinner Party Crashers
- Obama to Lay Out Emissions Goals in Copenhagen
- Free Bird
- The "Good" War
- The Presidential Planner
- Under the Stars, Obama Toasts India’s Prime Minister
MONTHLY ARCHIVES
« Previous | Main | Next »
RNC to Demand FEC Audit of Obama Campaign
October 05, 2008 4:59 PM
The Republican National Committee announced today that on Monday it will file a fundraising complaint with the Federal Election Commission against the presidential campaign of Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., charging the Democrat has accepted illegal donations from foreigners as well as contributions that exceed the $2,300-per-person federal limits from American citizens.
Obama's campaign has raised almost $460 million so far, and almost half that has been raised by small donors contributing less than $200. RNC chief counsel Sean Cairncross today noted in a conference call that questions have arisen about those smaller donations, which by law the campaign is not required to disclose.
Newsweek reported over the weekend that FEC auditors have asked the Obama campaign about a number of contributors whose contributions seem to violate campaign laws, such as "Good Will" of Austin, Texas, who listed his occupation as "You" and his employer as "Loving" and gave more than $11,000 total in $10 and $25 increments. Another questionable donor, "Doodad Pro" of Nunda, N.Y., gave $17,130 in similarly small increments.
"The Obama campaign has a track record of accepting these," Cairncross said.
He also said that "the Obama campaign has accepted contributions from foreign nationals and has knowingly done so through at least its failure to reasonably investigate where all this money is coming from." The RNC will ask the FEC to audit these smaller donations.
Earlier this year the Obama campaign returned more than $30,000 from Monir and Hosam Edwan, two Palestinian brothers in the Gaza Strip who said that they'd purchased Obama 2008 T-shirts in bulk from the Obama campaign Web site.
The Obama campaign responded to the RNC conference call by pointing out some of the McCain campaign's past fundraising issues.
"Because of campaign finance issues, John McCain has had to return over $1.2 million to donors who potentially violated the law with their contributions," said Obama spokesman Bill Burton in a statement. "We look forward to a thorough investigation into whether John McCain’s campaign has returned all of the money it raised from foreign nationals, as they have admitted McCain-bundler Harry Sergeant has done. Without accepting a dime from the Washington lobbyists or corporate PACs that have funded John McCain's campaign, our campaign has shattered fundraising records with donations from more than 2.5 million Americans. We have gone above and beyond the transparency requirements by disclosing our bundlers and the levels of contributions they raise."
McCain's campaign in August returned more than $50,000 in contributions raised from one single family in California by Mustafa Abu Naba’a, a Jordanian national and business partner of a Harry Sargeant III, finance chairman of the Florida Republican Party. asking them to provide more details about their small donors. The McCain campaign agreed to do so, but the Obama campaign rejected the request. Burton acknowledged that "no organization is completely protected from Internet fraud" but added that "we will continue to review our fundraising procedures to ensure that we are taking every available to step to root-out improper contributions." In June, a host of good government groups wrote to the McCain and Obama campaigns asking them to provide more details about their small donors. The McCain campaign agreed to do so, but the Obama campaign rejected the request.
- jpt
October 5, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (235)
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
Obama's associations reflect his poor judgement. He has shown this poor judgement thoughout his career, now we are suppose to trust that he is going to make things better by pushing socialist programs that our country cannot afford.
Why am I going to trust his judgement now when he has not had to prove himself before. Just take him at his word? Sorry not enough.
Posted by: Sean A | Oct 6, 2008 12:40:55 AM
Sean A,
John McCain has so many houses he can't keep count. He's got 8 cars. His wife is worth 100 million dollars. And you're concerned that a preacher who isn't running for anything has a 10 million dollar house? By the way, by John McCain standards(anyone making under 5 million), Barack Obama is considered middle class
Posted by: Randy | Oct 6, 2008 12:39:26 AM
As this article pointed out, the FEC already questioned the Obama campaign about suspicious contributions.
So the RNC is not alone in asking Obama for transparency about these contributions.
Furthermore, Judicial Watch, a non-partisan watchdog group has filed official complaints against Obama with the FEC and the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Ethics regarding the folowing:
- Papers filed in the Rezko scandal case show that shortly before Obama's suspicious land deal, Rezko received a wire transfer of $3.5 million from Nadhim Auchi, an Iraqi billionaire now living in Britain. Auchi made his fortune through business dealings with Saddam Husein.
The "London Times' raised the question whether funds from Auchi helped Obama buy his mansion.
- Obama received a preferenial treatment from Northern Trust on his $1.32 million mortgage with a below- average interest rate without paying points.
- Judicial Watch also filed a Freedom on Information Act request with the Illinois State Archives to produce records of Obama's years in office. But the ISA responded that they had not received any requests from Obama to archive any of his records and therefore could not comply with Judicial Watch's request.
If Senator Obama doesn't have anything to hide, why not agree to provide the details requested by all these parties?
Posted by: Donoke9_10 | Oct 6, 2008 12:38:54 AM
"Don't make it sound like Obama was ABLE to vote on the war resolution, because he was not.
Then he shouldn't be acting all high and mighty like he was against it.
Posted by: Emm | Oct 6, 2008 12:38:35 AM
Obama's positions mirror Jimmy Carter. The only difference is Obama comes with Ayers, Rezko, Rev Wright, ACORN, Fannie Mae contributions and complete flip-flopping from his original positions.
Obama is a snake in the grass.
Posted by: Sean A | Oct 6, 2008 12:35:55 AM
"Tell me why it was our job to go in there? The lie about the WMD's?"
You can Monday morning quarterback all day, but it was the best intel we had at the time, and Hussein was flat out ignoring UN sanctions. We did what we had to do.
Posted by: Emm | Oct 6, 2008 12:34:42 AM
Like I said, Saddam was a threat and eventually he would have been a bigger problem for us. There are many other countries like Darfur that need assistance. People are starving, women are raped by the militia there and the men are killed. But that country has never threatened us or Israel. Saddam killed thousands of Kurds. He said he had the capability to do it again.
Posted by: Sean A | Oct 6, 2008 12:33:54 AM
J--
Obama recieved the 2nd highest contributions from Fannie Mae. He is part of the problem. If he so giving why is his brother living in a 6 x 9 hut on $1 month. Why can't he send money to his poor family members. He is a millionare you know.
His Rev Wright built a $10 million home. Why does he need such extravagance? I thought he was all for giving to the poor of Chicago. I guess greed isn't just a color.
Posted by: Sean A | Oct 6, 2008 12:27:39 AM
See that's the problem I have with Republicans. Talk about issues that affect BOTH of us instead of stuff that doesn't mean diddly squat.
I could list stuff McCain is guilty of doing but what does that solve? It doesn't put gas in my car or yours, it doesn't pay our bills. That's what I want to see them talk about.
Posted by: J | Oct 6, 2008 12:32:26 AM
J--
Obama recieved the 2nd highest contributions from Fannie Mae. He is part of the problem. If he so giving why is his brother living in a 6 x 9 hut on $1 month. Why can't he send money to his poor family members. He is a millionare you know.
His Rev Wright built a $10 million home. Why does he need such extravagance? I thought he was all for giving to the poor of Chicago. I guess greed isn't just a color.
Posted by: Sean A | Oct 6, 2008 12:27:39 AM
Not a big fan of the war in Iraq but our men did not die in vain. An evil dictator has been sent to the deepest depths of h*ll because of us and our allies.
Posted by: Sean A | Oct 6, 2008 12:18:29 AM
Tell me why it was our job to go in there? The lie about the WMD's?
We need to stop poking our noses into everyone else's business and take care of us here at home first.
Posted by: J | Oct 6, 2008 12:23:13 AM
J--my favorite part of the book was "White mans greed puts the world in need".
What is your favorite passage of the book of Messiah?
Posted by: Sean A | Oct 6, 2008 12:12:54 AM
I haven't read his books. If that is the whole passage from the book that is partially true. Look what white men have done throughout history. How do you think we got in the mess we are in now.
Posted by: J | Oct 6, 2008 12:20:08 AM
Saddam was going to have to be taken care of eventually, maybe the inoformation that got us there was false, but the Iraqis are happy he is gone. Justice for the hundreds of thousands of people found in mass graves in Iraq.
It was just a matter of time that Al Qaeda would be forming an alliance with Saddam against us.
Not a big fan of the war in Iraq but our men did not die in vain. An evil dictator has been sent to the deepest depths of h*ll because of us and our allies.
Posted by: Sean A | Oct 6, 2008 12:18:29 AM
orangecat:
That's because Obama was not even IN the Senate five years ago, in 2003, when the war resolution was voted upon.
Don't make it sound like Obama was ABLE to vote on the war resolution, because he was not.
Just because he made some speech against the war before he became a Senator, does not mean that he wouldn't have voted for the war if he had been there at the time.
Given his flip-flops on FISA and other issues, and his inability to make a decision for himself, I'm sure he would have caved in and gone with the flow on the war resolution as well..
Posted by: Lee | Oct 6, 2008 12:17:22 AM
J--my favorite part of the book was "White mans greed puts the world in need".
What is your favorite passage of the book of Messiah?
Posted by: Sean A | Oct 6, 2008 12:12:54 AM
Christian faith from an anti-american church with unchristian sermons.
Posted by: Sean A | Oct 6, 2008 12:11:32 AM
Unshrub, J
Have you read Obama's book???
Posted by: Tim | Oct 5, 2008 11:59:55 PM
What difference does that make?
Posted by: J | Oct 6, 2008 12:05:52 AM
"McCAIN FIRST
This is the story of the real John McCain, the one who has been hiding in plain sight. It is the story of a man who has consistently put his own advancement above all else, a man willing to say and do anything to achieve his ultimate ambition: to become commander in chief, ascending to the one position that would finally enable him to outrank his four-star father and grandfather.
In its broad strokes, McCain's life story is oddly similar to that of the current occupant of the White House. John Sidney McCain III and George Walker Bush both represent the third generation of American dynasties. Both were born into positions of privilege against which they rebelled into mediocrity. Both developed an uncanny social intelligence that allowed them to skate by with a minimum of mental exertion. Both struggled with booze and loutish behavior. At each step, with the aid of their fathers' powerful friends, both failed upward. And both shed their skins as Episcopalian members of the Washington elite to build political careers as self-styled, ranch-inhabiting Westerners who pray to Jesus in their wives' evangelical churches.
In one vital respect, however, the comparison is deeply unfair to the current president: George W. Bush was a much better pilot."
Posted by: touche | Oct 6, 2008 12:03:40 AM
Have you read Obama's book??
Posted by: Tim | Oct 6, 2008 12:02:13 AM
J,
Bush didn't go into Iraq to finish daddys work. He went in to get Sadam...and justice for over 3000 innocent Americans who died for no reason except radical Isamic terrorist hate Americans. And, if he had not acted...we would have been attacked again...and more innocent Americans would be dead. We can't believe those people are finished with American.....
Posted by: Karen | Oct 5, 2008 11:58:01 PM
Saddam didn't attack us Bin Laden did. We had no business going in there. Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11.
Posted by: J | Oct 6, 2008 12:01:50 AM
Tim
Yes, and I beleive he says he is a Christian.
Posted by: The Unshrub | Oct 6, 2008 12:01:04 AM
Post a comment


