Hart Bid for Matching Funds Rejected

The Federal Election Commission voted 5 to 1 Thursday to reject former Sen. Gary Hart’s request for matching money from the Treasury to pay off his presidential campaign debts.

The commission contended that Hart’s request came too late because it was received after he had ended his campaign. Hart quit the race for the 1988 Democratic presidential nomination after questions were raised about his relationship with Miami model Donna Rice.

Donald Simon, an attorney for Hart’s campaign, said he would discuss the FEC ruling with the Colorado Democrat and would decide within 30 days whether to file an appeal with the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals here.

Hart declared his candidacy on April 13 and dropped out on May 8. In a letter dated May 4, which reached the commission May 18, he asked the FEC to certify that he was eligible for matching money.

Simon said Hart’s 1988 campaign has about $50,000 in debt. In addition, Simon said, Hart’s 1984 presidential campaign still has about $1.2 million in unpaid bills, a figure Hart aides hoped to reduce with the matching funds for 1988. The FEC is considering whether to allow such shifts.

Hart’s attorneys had made a last-minute appeal for the matching money on Wednesday, arguing that Congress’ “principal objective was to provide federal funds to serious, national campaigns to help allay the financial burdens of running for the presidency.”