FEC Denies Public Funds for LaRouche, Cites Past Abuses
The Federal Election Commission on Thursday formally denied public financing for Lyndon H. LaRouche Jr.’s jailhouse bid for the White House, citing a “history of abuse and noncompliance.”
The commission had recommended that action in December but gave LaRouche’s campaign a chance to respond before making a final decision.
Commission lawyers said the campaign’s response “does little to refute the history of abuse and noncompliance that Mr. LaRouche has had during his participation in the matching payment program.”
The decision marks the first time the FEC has refused to give tax dollars to help defray a candidate’s campaign expenses based on his past conduct, lawyers said.
LaRouche, 69, has espoused intricate conspiracy theories while running as a Democrat or independent in the last four presidential elections. He has received more than $1.8 million in federal matching funds.
LaRouche is serving 15 years at a federal prison in Rochester, Minn., on a 1988 conviction for fraud and tax evasion.
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