The Trump campaign has filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission claiming that Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign cannot take over President Joe Biden’s campaign’s money, calling it a violation of campaign finance contribution limit.
“Kamala Harris is seeking to perpetrate a $91.5 million dollar heist of Joe Biden’s leftover campaign cash — a brazen money grab that would constitute the single largest excessive contribution and biggest violation in the history of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended,” the complaint filed Tuesday and obtained by ABC News, claims.
The complaint, written by Trump campaign’s attorney David Warrington and targeting Harris, Biden, the Biden campaign (now the Harris campaign), and its treasurer, Keana Spencer, argues that the Biden campaign is “flagrantly violating the Act by making and receiving an excessive contribution of nearly one hundred million dollars” to the Harris campaign.
Harris campaign spokesperson Charles Kretchmer Lutvak in response to the complaint wrote in a statement, “Republicans may be jealous that Democrats are energized to defeat Donald Trump and his MAGA allies, but baseless legal claims – like the ones they’ve made for years to try to suppress votes and steal elections – will only distract them while we sign up volunteers, talk to voters, and win this election.”
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally, July 20, 2024, in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Multiple campaign finance experts have said the Harris campaign has lawful access to the Biden campaign’s leftover money — nearly $96 million as recently as July 1 — because a presidential candidate and a vice presidential candidate share the same entity as their joint campaign depository under federal election law.
On Sunday, the Biden campaign officially changed its name to the Harris campaign, placing Harris, who was previously listed in its filing as the vice presidential candidate, to the top of the ticket.
Vice President Kamala Harris during the start of her nationwide “Fight for Reproductive Freedoms” tour in Big Bend, WI, Jan. 22, 2024.
Daniel Steinle/Bloomberg via Getty Images
But the crux of the Trump campaign’s argument is that because Biden and Harris have yet to go through the formal nomination process to become the presidential and vice presidential nominees, they couldn’t share the same committee.
“For purposes of the 2024 election cycle, and especially with respect to the primary election still underway, Biden for President is the authorized campaign committee of Mr. Biden and Mr. Biden only,” the complaint argues, claiming the Biden campaign cannot simply amend its filing to change its presidential candidate.
“The Commission must immediately find reason to believe and quickly end this ongoing violation,” the letter concludes, though the FEC is unlikely to resolve the matter before the election. (ABC News has reached out to the FEC for comment.)
Veteran Republican election lawyer Charlie Spies has recently made a similar argument in an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal — claiming that Harris does not have access to the Biden campaign’s money because neither have gone through a formal nomination process yet.
Other election experts ABC News has spoken with have refuted that argument, saying that has not been the FEC’s interpretation of federal election law.
“That might’ve been an issue if this were their first cycle as a ticket, but under FEC rules it’s been Harris’s campaign committee too since 2020 — she’s not being added now,” said Adav Noti, a former FEC attorney who now serves as executive director of watchdog group Campaign Legal Center.
“The fact that Harris has been consistently reported as the VP on committee filings since 2020 reflects how the rule has long been interpreted—basically, that an incumbent president and vice-president continue to share an authorized committee throughout their term,” echoed Brendan Fischer, an election law expert and deputy executive director of watchdog group Documented.
The Trump campaign has recently made a bold move by requesting the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to prevent Vice President Kamala Harris from accessing President Joe Biden’s campaign funds. This request comes as tensions continue to rise between the two political parties in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election.
The Trump campaign argues that Harris should not be allowed to access Biden’s campaign funds because she was not the original candidate for president. They claim that allowing her to use these funds would be a violation of campaign finance laws and would give her an unfair advantage in future elections.
This request has sparked a heated debate among political analysts and experts. Some argue that Harris should be allowed to access Biden’s campaign funds since she is now serving as vice president and is an integral part of the current administration. They believe that denying her access to these funds would hinder her ability to effectively carry out her duties as vice president.
On the other hand, opponents of the Trump campaign’s request argue that Harris should not be allowed to use Biden’s campaign funds because she was not the original candidate for president. They believe that allowing her to access these funds would set a dangerous precedent and could potentially lead to abuse of campaign finance laws in the future.
The FEC has yet to make a decision on the Trump campaign’s request, but this issue is likely to continue to be a point of contention in the coming months. As the political landscape continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how this debate plays out and what implications it may have for future elections.
In conclusion, the Trump campaign’s request to prevent Vice President Kamala Harris from accessing President Joe Biden’s campaign funds has sparked a heated debate among political analysts and experts. The outcome of this request could have far-reaching implications for future elections and campaign finance laws. It will be important to closely monitor how the FEC handles this issue in the coming months.
