Fred Thompson's Missing FEC Filing

[RedEarth]

via DailyKos.......

While you're sifting through the quarterly campaign finance reports today, you may be wondering where Fred Dalton Thompson's filings are, since, obviously, he's running for President too. Here's his disclosures in their entirety:

In other words, no filings from Thompson as to who he's raising money from, or how he's spending it -- and also, unlike everyone else in the field, no financial disclosure statement yet as to his personal riches.

See, Thompson claims he's not really a candidate for President yet; he's just "testing the waters". Now, friends, that's not a made-up term -- under the FEC rules, you can delay your initial campaign filings if you're truly not sure if you want to run, and want to raise and spend a little money to determine if your candidacy would be viable. But the ability to use this loophole ceases if it's clear that you've decided to become a candidate, and there are extrinsic factors are used by the FEC to determine if that's the case. I'll focus on three:

If you raise funds in excess of amounts reasonably required for exploratory activity or amass funds for use after candidacy is established;
If you conduct activities over a protracted period of time (or shortly before an election); and
If you make or authorize statements that refer to yourself as a candidate.

Raising Funds Beyond What You Need To "Explore"

Well, Thompson claims to have "taken in at least several million dollars", and the New York Post confirms that the campaign had "made significant strides toward the nearly $5 million that Thompson's 'First Day Founders' have committed to raising as seed money for a full-fledged presidential campaign." Indeed, almost a month ago, the WaPo reported the campaign's acknowledgement that it "seems on track to reach his goal of raising about $5 million in just one month, according to advisers."

more......

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/7/16/84635/8451

[spanone]

1. Meanwhile, I'm seeing Thompson bumper stickers and the local paper has contest for fred theme song

here in nashville, but hey he's just 'testing the water'

[TwilightGardener]

2. DumbAsHell is such a fucking corrupt liar--I expect nothing less

from the Nixon Stooge. He's circumventing the very campaign-finance laws he so vocally supported in the Senate. He actually has an FEC official working for him, to help him get around the laws. If Rudy has a whiff of corruption coming off of him, Fred's got a full-on STENCH.