GOP Complaint Cites Pro-Dem Groups ("criminal conspiracy") [View All]

[DeepModem Mom]

Washington Post:

GOP Complaint Cites Pro-Democratic Groups

By Thomas B. Edsall
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, April 1, 2004; Page A09


The Bush campaign and the Republican Party filed charges yesterday with the Federal Election Commission accusing the Kerry campaign and seven "independent" organizations of conducting a criminal conspiracy to inject large amounts of "soft money" into the 2004 election.

The Bush campaign, which this month has spent an unprecedented $41.8 million on television ads, many of them attacking Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), has become increasingly frustrated by the ability of Kerry and such "independent" groups as MoveOn.org and the Media Fund to counter with nearly $20 million in ads.

In a separate rule-making process expected to take months, the FEC is addressing many of the issues raised by the Bush-RNC complaint. The complaint filed yesterday is designed to force a much quicker decision on the legality of the activities of the Kerry campaign and allied groups. A ruling against the Democrats would cut off a major source of campaign support for Kerry.

In an unusual move for a party traditionally opposed to campaign finance laws and government regulation, the GOP has turned increasingly to the federal regulatory system, especially the FEC, to restrict, if not silence, Kerry allies....


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40573-2004Mar31.html