Elon Musk announced the formation of a new political party called the America Party to promote freedom, but there is little evidence of its official existence, and it may be a false or symbolic move. The effort highlights Musk's ongoing political ambitions and tensions with Trump, with potential impacts on upcoming elections. However, actual party registration and ballot access involve complex and costly legal steps.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s campaign has filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission alleging that CNN, President Biden, and former President Trump colluded to exclude him from a June 27 debate. The complaint argues that CNN's debate could be considered a prohibited corporate contribution to Biden and Trump's campaigns. Kennedy's campaign is pushing for the FEC to intervene before the debate, claiming CNN's criteria were set to exclude him. CNN maintains that their criteria are objective and pre-established. Legal experts suggest Kennedy's argument may face significant challenges.
Former President Donald Trump paid his lawyers over $5 million in February through his Save America PAC, surpassing his cash on hand, as he grapples with mounting legal costs while striving to raise more funds. The PAC raised around $5 million and spent $7.2 million in total, with the majority going towards legal fees. Trump's legal bills are expected to rise as he faces ongoing criminal and civil cases, while his campaign fundraising lags behind President Joe Biden's. The legality of using PAC money for personal legal fees remains a gray area, with questions arising about whether the Republican National Committee will contribute to Trump's legal expenses.
The Trump campaign has reported an unusually low amount of donor refunds, raising questions about potential loopholes in campaign finance laws. The campaign appears to be forwarding excessive donations to other political accounts, potentially inflating its war chest and public perception of political strength. The campaign's joint fundraising committee also shows a low refund rate, with a significant portion of operating expenses going towards fundraising-related services. Critics argue that the campaign's handling of excessive donations may involve misrepresentation to the FEC and creative accounting to artificially lower the refund rate, potentially masking financial weaknesses.
President Biden's re-election campaign ended January with nearly $56 million on hand, giving him a financial advantage over former President Donald J. Trump, whose campaign had about $30 million available at the end of the month. Biden's early financial strength is attributed to the Democratic Party's fund-raising support, while Trump faces challenges due to legal troubles. Both candidates are also raising money through joint fund-raising committees, with the full financial picture not entirely clear until April.
The Democratic National Committee has filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission against the PAC supporting independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., alleging illegal coordination to get him on state ballots. This move signals Democratic concerns over Kennedy's potential impact on the 2024 race and the fear that he may draw votes away from President Joe Biden. Kennedy's campaign and the American Values PAC have denied the allegations, while the DNC argues that the PAC's efforts to fund signature gathering for ballot access violate federal election law.
The failed effort to secure Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as the Republican nominee for the White House cost a total of $168 million, with his own campaign spending $28.3 million and pro-DeSantis super PACs reporting payments of over $140 million. DeSantis, who relied heavily on outside support, ended his campaign after losing to Donald Trump in the Iowa caucuses and faced challenges including financial pressures, staffing shakeups, and allegations of coordination between his campaign and the super PACs.
Donald Trump's political action committees spent roughly $50 million on legal expenses and investigation-related costs in 2023, as he faces four criminal indictments and potential trials. The expenses were covered by donations to his PAC, Save America, which were initially collected after the 2020 election. Trump sought to replenish the PAC's funds by requesting a $60 million refund from a different pro-Trump super PAC.
Ron DeSantis and his 2024 presidential campaign, along with the Never Back Down Super PAC supporting him, are facing a complaint from the nonprofit watchdog Campaign Legal Center, alleging that they violated federal law by coordinating their activities and making in-kind contributions. The complaint claims that the super PAC failed to remain independent from the candidate and his campaign, contrary to legal requirements. DeSantis and his team have dismissed the allegations as baseless, stating that the complaint is politically motivated. The FEC has previously stated that they won't take action based on unverified rumors.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is accused of breaking campaign finance laws by coordinating with the Never Back Down PAC, according to a complaint filed with the Federal Election Commission. The complaint alleges that DeSantis's campaign illegally influenced the activities of the super PAC supporting his 2024 presidential bid. The Campaign Legal Center claims that DeSantis's campaign complained about the PAC's ads targeting Nikki Haley, which is seen as a violation of federal campaign finance laws. The watchdog group also alleges that the PAC effectively operated as an arm of DeSantis's campaign, subsidizing and underwriting his candidacy. The complaint calls for civil penalties and an injunction to prevent future violations.
A campaign watchdog group has filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (F.E.C.) against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and a super PAC supporting his presidential bid, alleging illegal campaign coordination. The complaint argues that the super PAC, Never Back Down, effectively served as DeSantis's campaign by providing various support, including private air travel, funding ground operations, and hosting events. DeSantis and his wife allegedly provided guidance on messaging to the super PAC. The F.E.C. will review the case, but its evenly divided composition may result in a deadlock. The chaos within Never Back Down is expected to concern Republican donors who are increasingly supporting former Governor Nikki Haley as an alternative to DeSantis.
A watchdog group, Campaign Legal Center, has filed a complaint alleging that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and a super PAC supporting his presidential bid, Never Back Down, violated federal campaign finance laws by illegally coordinating their activities. Never Back Down, which received over $80 million from a committee previously raising funds for DeSantis' reelection campaign, has been accused of using its resources to pay for operations in Iowa and hosting events with DeSantis. The complaint argues that this coordination undermines campaign finance regulations and gives special interest backers undue influence. The DeSantis campaign has dismissed the complaint as baseless, while Campaign Legal Center has filed a total of five complaints against DeSantis or his donors this year.
A nonpartisan government watchdog group, the Campaign Legal Center, has filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission accusing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis of breaking campaign finance law by coordinating with a super PAC supporting his presidential bid. The complaint alleges that the level of coordination and communication between DeSantis' campaign and the super PAC, Never Back Down, crossed legal boundaries. DeSantis' spokesperson dismissed the complaint as baseless, while the governor's political operation faces turmoil and departures from top-level strategists. The FEC's resolution of the complaint may take years, and its board often deadlocks on campaign finance enforcement matters.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' presidential campaign and the super PAC supporting him, Never Back Down, have been hit with a complaint by the Campaign Legal Center, alleging coordination between the two entities in violation of federal election laws. The complaint accuses Never Back Down of making in-kind contributions to DeSantis' campaign, which goes against the requirement for super PACs to remain independent. DeSantis' campaign spokesman dismissed the complaint as baseless, while the super PAC did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Never Back Down has been heavily involved in DeSantis' Iowa ground game, and the complaint follows the recent departure of its chief operative.
A lawyer representing one of George Santos' former treasurers, Tom Datwyler, has retracted previous statements and apologized to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) for submitting false information on behalf of his client. The lawyer, Derek Ross, claims that Datwyler provided him with inaccurate information, suggesting a cover-up of a sham operation to conceal the true identity of the person running Santos' campaign finances. The retraction comes after The Daily Beast's reporting revealed that Datwyler had operated as a shadow treasurer for Santos, despite publicly disavowing that role. The revelations add to the legal challenges faced by Santos, who is already under federal investigation for various charges, including campaign finance crimes.
