FEC Asked to Withhold Sharpton's Matching Funds

releases.usnewswire.com ^

[chance33_98]

FEC Asked to Withhold Sharpton's Matching Funds

2/5/04 8:21:00 AM

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To: National Desk

Contact: Ken Boehm of the National Legal and Policy Center, 703-237-1970, http://www.nlpc.org

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC) announced that it will file an amendment today to its Feb. 2 complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) alleging additional violations of federal campaign law by Rev. Al Sharpton and others.

The amendment will update the Feb. 2 complaint to reflect information contained in a February 3 Village Voice article by Wayne Barrett titled "Sleeping With the GOP: A Bush Covert Operative Takes Over Sharpton's Campaign" ( http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0405/barrett.php ).

The Village Voice article has attracted attention across the political spectrum. Rush Limbaugh discussed it as the first item on his show yesterday. Democracy Now, a left-leaning radio program hosted by Amy Goodman, interviewed Barrett yesterday.

The amended complaint asks the FEC to withhold federal matching funds from Sharpton's campaign until the allegations contained in the complaint are investigated. The Barrett article details the dubious circumstances surrounding a campaign by consultant Roger Stone to round up donations in enough states to qualify Sharpton for matching funds.

The complaint is the second NLPC has filed against Sharpton. The first, filed on April 18, 2003, resulted in a Conciliation Agreement under which Sharpton has to pay a $5,500 fine for late filing of disclosure documents.

The Feb. 2 complaint cited media reports indicating that Sharpton may have visited over 100 cities related to his presidential campaign in 2002 and 2003. This extensive political travel is not reflected anywhere in Sharpton's FEC filings. In response to NLPC's April 18, 2003, complaint, the FEC cited to Sharpton the requirement that a potential candidate who becomes a candidate must report all previous contributions and expenditures on the first report.

The Barrett article alleges that Sharpton's nonprofit group, the National Action Network (NAN), may have underwritten this travel with funds received as large loans or gifts from Stone and/or other unnamed donors.

NLPC Chairman Ken Boehm said, "The FEC has an obligation to safeguard the integrity of the matching funds process. If there is an effort to defraud the taxpayer, we seek to stop it."

NLPC promotes ethics in public life, and sponsors the Government Integrity Project.

[ErnBatavia]

I liked what Dennis Miller said on his first show, while musing about the South Carolina primary..."I don't think Sharpton will go down there to campaign; they don't have any Ritz Carltons in South Carolina, do they?"

[Asclepius]

A Bush Covert Operative Takes Over Sharpton's Campaign

This is too funny.

I only wonder how many Bush ops are in Kerry's inner circle.

Go, Kerry! Go! America desperately needs and wants a Mass. liberal to wear the garland of the state.

[Asclepius]

Sharpton and Stone are, in a sense, brothers under the skin, outlandish personalities too large to be bound by the constraints that govern the rest of us. Stone was the registered agent in America for Argentina's intelligence agency, sucking up spy novels; Sharpton was a confidential informant for the FBI, wiring up on black leaders for the feds. Stone is a fashion impersonator, dressing like a hip-hop dandy; Sharpton, having shed his gold medallion and jogger suits, now looks like a smooth banker. Stone was involved in Watergate at the age of 19; Sharpton was a boy-wonder preacher. Stone's mentor from the days of his youth was Roy Cohn; Sharpton's was James Brown. Sharpton is a minister without a church; Stone is almost as rootless, having left the powerhouse Washington firm he helped form years ago. Each reinvents himself daily, if not hourly, as if nothing in their past matters.

This is from the original Voice article.

I really, really like these two gentleman. The author of the Voice article spits venom and bile at them. But he cannot conceal his envy-poisoned admiration for their freedom from the "constraints" that bind the "rest of us." They must be doing something right, these two.

[ZOOKER]

I'm hoping Sharpton raises a big enough stink that black voters stay home in disgust.

I already commented on an article yesterday that said the collapse of the Dean campaign will suppress the (liberal) youth vote.

Will Joe-mentum's demise supress the liberal jewish vote?

Did the only woman candidate, Carol Mosely-Braun, take the liberal women's vote with her when she left?