Former President Donald Trump has filed a complaint with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) against President Joe Biden for transferring his campaign funds to Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign. The complaint comes after Biden withdrew from the presidential race on Sunday following significant pressure from Democratic leadership and House members, endorsing Harris as the top ticket candidate.
Trump team files FEC complaint over transfer of Biden's $91M to Harris campaign: 'Brazen money grab' https://t.co/GLv4sKFVsr
— Fox News (@FoxNews) July 24, 2024
Trump’s complaint aims to prevent Harris from accessing Biden’s campaign funds, which have been rebranded under “Harris for President” as of Monday. The transfer of funds to Harris is seen by Trump’s team as a significant breach of federal election laws. Trump campaign counsel David Warrington argued in an eight-page filing that, “Kamala Harris is seeking to perpetrate a $91.5 million heist of Joe Biden’s leftover campaign cash — a brazen money grab that would constitute the single largest excessive contribution and biggest violation in the history of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971.”
The complaint requests a criminal investigation into the transfer, labeling the renaming of the campaign and subsequent fund transfer as fraudulent. Despite this aggressive stance, many experts doubt the validity of the argument, given Harris’s original role on the Biden ticket.
The complaint further asserts that since Biden has withdrawn from the race, the donations should now be “disposed of,” and transferring them to Harris’ campaign is illegal. “Federal candidates are prohibited from keeping contributions for elections in which they do not participate,” the filing states, according to The Guardian. “Biden for President 2024 has shown no intention to properly refund or re-designate the general election funds it has already received. This makes them all excess contributions.”
Experts in campaign finance law are skeptical of the complaint’s success. They argue that since Harris was on the original ticket as vice president, the fund transfer might be legally permissible. The contention hinges on whether the rebranding and fund transfer violate any specific statutes or regulations under the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971.
This legal challenge adds another layer of complexity to the already turbulent 2024 presidential election landscape. Harris, having secured over $80 million in additional campaign funds following Biden’s endorsement, now faces scrutiny over the legality of her campaign’s financial backing.
While the FEC’s response to Trump’s complaint remains to be seen, the legal battle underscores the fierce competition and high stakes of the upcoming election.
