[EDINVA]

In the latest FEC reports of October 15, 2009 for the period July 1-September 30 (8-11 months after the election), McCain’s legal expenditures were $27,676.34.

In the same period, Obama’s legal expenditures were $323,774.06, of which $313,884.06 went to the Perkins Coie firm that has represented him in certain of the eligibility cases.

How would one explain rationally the twelve-fold difference of legal expenditures this far out from the campaign (with total Obama post-election legal expenses now over $1.7M, eclipsing in Obama’s case what was spent on the campaign) without readily inferring that “most” of the Obama campaign’s post-election legal expenses are related to the eligibility suits?

[Kleon]

How would one explain rationally the twelve-fold difference of legal expenditures this far out from the campaign (with total Obama post-election legal expenses now over $1.7M, eclipsing in Obama’s case what was spent on the campaign) without readily inferring that “most” of the Obama campaign’s post-election legal expenses are related to the eligibility suits?

Any person occupying the Oval Office will rack up substantial legal fees. It comes with the job.

[BuckeyeTexan]

Perkins Coie is the General Counsel for Obama for America (a.k.a. Organizing for America, a project of the DNC.) They are not simply Obama's personal defense attorneys.

Obama's attorneys defended him in 3 of 62 eligibility-related lawsuits. See this link for details.

• Berg v. Obama is the first case. Perkins Coie filed 3 items in that case. The last of which was filed on 10/20/2008.
• Hollister v. Soetoro is the second. Perkins Coie filed 5 items in that case. The last of which was on 12/4/09.
• Keyes v. Brown is the third. Perkins Coie did not defend that case.

The rest of the 59 cases were either dismissed sua sponte or Obama was not listed as a defendant or the DOJ provided the defense.

Tell me how one could logically assume that 8 total items filed by Perkins Coie would cost $1.7m or anything even close to it. Then tell me how Organizing for America, for which Perkins Coie is general counsel, would NOT have legitimate legal expenses separate and apart from the 8 filings in the eligibility lawsuits.

Looking at FEC reports, that detail nothing, and concluding that all/most of the money paid to Perkins Coie is for defense in the eligibility lawsuits is illogical, and frankly, ludicrous.

P.S. The twelve-fold difference that you mention is easily explained, IMHO, by the fact that Organizing for America merged with the DNC and continues to operate today. McCain's campaign organization did not merge with the RNC and therefore would have no major projects that would require significant legal expenses.