GOP Charges Clinton Campaign Wrongly Used Funds for TV Pitch
The Republican National Committee asked the government Friday to cut off public financing to Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign, alleging he wrongly used Democratic Party funds to pay for a national television broadcast last week.
The complaint alleges Clinton wrongly used $395,000 of his party’s general-election money to help raise funds for his cash-strapped primary campaign. The money was used for Clinton’s half-hour TV appearance last Friday on NBC, during which his toll-free fund-raising number was flashed across the screen several times.
The incident illegally “commingles general election funds with primary funds,” said the complaint filed with the Federal Election Commission.
The FEC ruled in a 1984 advisory opinion that the parties could spend general-election funds before the primary season officially ends with the nominating conventions, provided the money is used for “influencing the outcome of the general election.”
Democrats cited that opinion when they authorized paying the $395,000 for Clinton’s TV appearance.
But the GOP alleges that the money was spent to help Clinton’s indebted primary campaign, citing the use of his 800 primary election fund-raising number.
Clinton spokeswoman Max Parker said the use of the 800 number was a mistake and the campaign would not accept contributions generated by the show.
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