DNC Demands Investigation Into McCain Campaign Finance Violations

    Letter Contends FEC Consideration of McCain Withdrawal From Primary

Funds Program Without an Investigation into DNC Complaint is Illegal



    WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 /EMWNews/ -- The following release

was issued today by the Democratic National Committee:



    With the Federal Election Commission scheduled to address John McCain's

decision to unilaterally withdraw from the federal matching funds program

on Thursday, the Democratic National Committee today called on the

Commission to remove that item from its agenda and instead proceed with a

full investigation of the charges made against McCain in the administrative

complaint filed by the DNC in February. In a conference call with reporters

this morning, DNC General Counsel Joe Sandler discussed a letter he sent to

the FEC last night that argued that the Commission should not consider

McCain's decision to withdraw from the matching funds program because there

is no request for permission pending and the Commission hasn't yet

conducted an investigation as required by the law.



    



    To listen to this morning's conference call, click here:

http://www.democrats.org/page/-/audio/calls/FECLetterConfCall082008.mp3



    For a copy of the letter, click here:



    http://www.democrats.org/page/-/pdf/FEC_McCain_August19.pdf



    On February 25, 2008 the DNC filed an administrative complaint alleging

that Senator McCain was violating the law by taking the unprecedented step

of announcing he was unilaterally withdrawing from the program instead of

requesting and receiving permission from the FEC to be released from the

obligations of the federal matching funds program. McCain is in fact

already violating the law by exceeding the spending caps associated with

the primaries by tens of millions of dollars. In his letter, Sandler noted

that the FEC cannot issue a finding on the complaint until it authorizes a

full investigation -- something the Commission was unable to due as a

result of the lack of a quorum at the FEC -- and that the Commission cannot

legally consider the matter in an open hearing without first conducting an

investigation.



    "Since John McCain has refused to acknowledge that he needs the FEC's

permission to withdraw from the matching funds program, the Commission has

a legal responsibility to remove this matter from its agenda and instead

authorize a full investigation into our complaint," said DNC General

Counsel Joe Sandler. "The American people have a right to know whether the

John McCain who once championed himself as a reformer, saved his campaign

by breaking the laws he helped craft. We are calling on the FEC to promptly

conduct and conclude an investigation into the complaint we filed four

months ago so that this issue can be resolved in the appropriate manner."



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http://www.democrats.org.



    This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's

committee.