Posted on 11/28/2001 1:17:36 PM PST by Native American Female Vet
FEC lawyers recommend giving Dems break on soft-money rules to make up for slow fund raising after attacks
By Sharon Theimer, Associated Press, 11/28/2001 17:03
WASHINGTON (AP) Democrats, arguing their finances have been hit hard by slow fund raising after the terrorist attacks, are getting a sympathetic ear from the Federal Election Commission's lawyers.
FEC attorneys are recommending that the commission grant the Democratic National Committee's request for a break on a ''soft money'' spending rule.
The DNC says it canceled or postponed at least eight fund-raisers in the three weeks after the attacks, depriving it of an anticipated $1.65 million.
Because of that, the DNC wants the commission to extend the amount of time it and other fund-raising committees have to cover operating expenses using soft-money campaign contributions.
The commission plans to consider the request and the FEC lawyers' recommendation Thursday.
Soft money contributions can be made in unlimited amounts, but there are limits on how party committees such as the DNC and its Republican counterpart can spend them.
The Republican National Committee has not commented to the FEC on the Democrats' request. Asked whether the GOP would take advantage of an extension, spokesman Trent Duffy said no decision had been made.
While both major parties are prolific soft-money raisers, the Democrats tend to rely more heavily on it, while the GOP typically has a ''hard-money'' advantage.
When it comes to operating expenses, party committees are allowed to first cover the cost using hard money, donations that are limited in size but can be spent by recipients in any way.
They can then reimburse themselves for 40 percent of those expenses using soft money.
Party committees now have 60 days to make the reimbursement. The DNC wants the FEC to extend the time limit to 120 days.
That would give it until March 1 to use soft money for expenses incurred through the end of this year. The DNC says most of the contributions it would have taken in at the fund-raisers would have been soft money.
The commission's lawyers say that rather than temporarily waiving the rule, the FEC should simply stop enforcing it for transfers until March 1. Campaign-finance watchdog groups including Common Cause, Democracy 21 and the Center for Responsive Politics oppose the DNC's request.
The groups feel soft money allows special interests to wield undue political influence and should be banned rather than given what they view as another loophole.
The FEC is ''talking about not enforcing a lawfully enacted rule they made, and publicly announcing that they will not enforce that rule, and that is wrong,'' said Larry Noble, executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics and former general counsel for the commission.
Noble said the DNC has failed to show it is facing a funding emergency due to the terrorist attacks.
DNC attorney Joseph Sandler said the commission has used discretion in enforcing its rules before. He said the DNC has proved hardship and is seeking relief through a request that deals only with the timing of transfers between party accounts, not the overall amount of soft money that a party can spend.
On the Net:
Federal Election Commission: http://www.fec.gov/
Democratic National Committee:
http://www.democrats.org/
Republican National Committee: http://www.rnc.org/
Heck. They didn't make ANY issue out of the democRATS getting MILLIONS of illegal dollars from Riady (can you spell COMMUNIST CHINESE buying US elections?) and not returning it, even though they publically CLAIMED they did?
"Out of touch" doesn't even begin to describe the RNC.
I don't suppose it has occurred to them that the reason nobody is giving them any money is because since 9-11 their CRAP isn't selling anymore, has it?
Heck, Bonnie & Clyde could have mounted the same defense. "We don't have much money. The banks have lots of money. Therefore, don't prosecute us for liberating some of that money for ourselves."
Congressman Billybob
ROTFLMAO!!!! Liberals are not about being responsible for their actions. Remember, Liberalism is about feelings. I guess they FEEL that it is not fair for the RNC to be ahead.
About the FEC In 1975, Congress created the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to administer and enforce the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) - the statute that governs the financing of federal elections. The duties of the FEC, which is an independent regulatory agency, are to disclose campaign finance information, to enforce the provisions of the law such as the limits and prohibitions on contributions, and to oversee the public funding of Presidential elections. The Commission is made up of six members, who are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Each member serves a six-year term, and two seats are subject to appointment every two years. By law, no more than three Commissioners can be members of the same political party, and at least four votes are required for any official Commission action. This structure was created to encourage nonpartisan decisions. The Chairmanship of the Commission rotates among the members each year, with no member serving as Chairman more than once during his or her term.
Some links:
So what if the Senate is blocking appointments? Bush still has to fire these partisan slimebags, and do it now. They are all over the State Department, the Defense Department, the FBI, the INS, the judiciary, the US Attorney's Offices, and virtually everywhere else. It's intolerable, and he certainly isn't drawing a whole lot of praise from the media for his restraint or nonpartisanship or whatever you want to call it.
It's probably his single worst mistake, leaving all these political saboteurs in place.
DANNY LEE MCDONALD CHAIRMAN
Danny Lee McDonald of Oklahoma was elected to serve as Chairman of the Federal Election Commission in 2001.
Chairman McDonald, a Democrat, originally was nominated to the Federal Election Commission by President Ronald Reagan in December 1981, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in July 1982. He served as FEC Chairman in 1983, 1989, and 1995, and previously has served as Vice Chairman in 1982, 1988, 1994, and 2000.
Prior to his initial appointment in 1981, the Sand Springs, Oklahoma, native served as General Administrator of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission. Additionally, he served as Secretary of the Tulsa County Election Board and as Chief Clerk of that Board. Commissioner McDonald was a member of the Advisory Panel to the FEC's National Clearinghouse on Election Administration.
Chairman McDonald received a B. A. Degree from Oklahoma State University and attended the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He has served as a member of the JFK School Advisory Board for State and Local Government.
He and his wife Gail reside in Fort Washington, Maryland.
TERMS SUMMARY
CURRENT APPOINTMENT: February 9, 2000, by President Clinton
SENATE CONFIRMATION: May 24, 2000
SWORN IN: June 13, 2000
TERM: April 30, 2005
FIRST NOMINATED: December 14, 1981, by President
Reagan
TERM: April 30, 1987
RECESS APPOINTMENT: December 17, 1981
SWORN IN: December 23, 1981
CONFIRMED: July 1, 1982
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