FEC Complaint Alleges Rudy Got 'Soft Money' From NYT With Anti-MoveOn Ad

[Hissyspit]

http://rawstory.com//news/2007/FEC_complaint_alleges_Rudy_got_soft_0925.html

FEC complaint alleges Rudy got 'soft money' from NYT
Nick Juliano
Published: Tuesday September 25, 2007

Rudy Giuliani's presidential campaign effectively received an illegal "soft money" contribution of more than $77,000 from the New York Times when he purchased a newspaper advertisement for a discounted rate, alleges a liberal blogger in a complaint to the Federal Election Commission.

The formal FEC complaint from blogger Lane Hudson alleges Giuliani received a "corporate soft money contribution in excess" of campaign finance limits. It is the latest fallout from MoveOn.org's "General Betray Us" ad, which ran in the New York Times Sept. 10.

- snip -

Four days later, Giuliani took out his own ad in the Times attacking MoveOn and attempting to link the liberal anti-war group with prominent Democrats. The former New York mayor demanded the same rate the Times charged MoveOn, $64,575.

Since the pricing discrepancy was revealed Sunday, MoveOn has said it will wire the Times the difference between the rate it was charged, which is meant for ads that can run on any day anywhere in the paper, and the $142,083 the group should have paid to guarantee its full-page ad would run that Monday. Giuliani's campaign has refused to make up the difference, in violation of federal law, Hudson alleges.

"According to the New York Times' own policy, Mr. Giuliani should have paid the fixed-date rate instead of the standby rate," Hudson writes in his FEC complaint. "Therefore, the difference, $77,083 is an in-kind corporate contribution, which far exceeds the limits allowed by law."

Giuliani's campaign did not immediately return RAW STORY's call requesting comment.

- snip -

Hudson's complaint, filed Monday, is the second he has filed this year against a Republican candidate. In August, he filed a complaint against Fred Thompson, who formally announced his presidential bid this month. Hudson said the actor improperly raised and spent money beyond the "testing the waters" threshold that governs presidential exploratory committees.

The complaints were fist posted on Hudson's blog News For The Left.

[acmavm]

1. GOOD FOR THIS GUY!!

[movonne]

2. So what the hell is anyone doing about this....rudy is a the biggest

crook ever...

[Spazito]

3. I love it! Hoisted on his own petard is poor Rudy

Good for Mr. Hudson!

[The Backlash Cometh]

4. Snap. The sound of Moveons clever trap slams shut.

[simmonsj811]

5. 1 2 3

:kick:

[robinlynne]

6. excellent move.

[Hissyspit]

7. .