McCain violates his own law!

[DavidS]

GovTrack: H.R. 2356 [107th]: Text of Legislation, Enrolled Bill

Let's examine the McCain-Feingold Campaign Reform Act of 2002:

SEC. 313. USE OF CONTRIBUTED AMOUNTS FOR CERTAIN PURPOSES.
(a) PERMITTED USES-

...

(b) PROHIBITED USE-

(1) IN GENERAL- A contribution or donation described in subsection (a) shall not be converted by any person to personal use.

(2) CONVERSION- For the purposes of paragraph (1), a contribution or donation shall be considered to be converted to personal use if the contribution or amount is used to fulfill any commitment, obligation, or expense of a person that would exist irrespective of the candidate's election campaign or individual's duties as a holder of Federal office, including--

(A) a home mortgage, rent, or utility payment;
(B) a clothing purchase;
(C) a noncampaign-related automobile expense;
(D) a country club membership;
(E) a vacation or other noncampaign-related trip;
(F) a household food item;
(G) a tuition payment;
(H) admission to a sporting event, concert, theater, or other form of entertainment not associated with an election campaign; and
(I) dues, fees, and other payments to a health club or recreational facility.'

Pretty clear, isn't it? Organizations like the RNC are prohibited from converting campaign contributions for personal use, including (explicitly) with respect to "clothing purchases".

Sec. 323
`(a) NATIONAL COMMITTEES-

`(1) IN GENERAL- A national committee of a political party (including a national congressional campaign committee of a political party) may not solicit, receive, or direct to another person a contribution, donation, or transfer of funds or any other thing of value, or spend any funds, that are not subject to the limitations, prohibitions, and reporting requirements of this Act.
`(2) APPLICABILITY- The prohibition established by paragraph (1) applies to any such national committee, any officer or agent acting on behalf of such a national committee, and any entity that is directly or indirectly established, financed, maintained, or controlled by such a national committee.

 

[Chris]

Ay Caramba!

 

[Kevin_Kennedy]

He broke this law months ago when he spent more than the allotted amount of money in a month, and it didn't seem to matter then.

 

[SwingVoter]

who cares?

Mac's old, can't lead, and would be a train wreck in the face of the current econ situation, regardless of who paid for which clothes, leave Palin alone already

 

[chopcrazy]

GovTrack: H.R. 2356 [107th]: Text of Legislation, Enrolled Bill

Let's examine the McCain-Feingold Campaign Reform Act of 2002:

SEC. 313. USE OF CONTRIBUTED AMOUNTS FOR CERTAIN PURPOSES.
(a) PERMITTED USES-

...

(b) PROHIBITED USE-

(1) IN GENERAL- A contribution or donation described in subsection (a) shall not be converted by any person to personal use.

(2) CONVERSION- For the purposes of paragraph (1), a contribution or donation shall be considered to be converted to personal use if the contribution or amount is used to fulfill any commitment, obligation, or expense of a person that would exist irrespective of the candidate's election campaign or individual's duties as a holder of Federal office, including--

(A) a home mortgage, rent, or utility payment;
(B) a clothing purchase;
(C) a noncampaign-related automobile expense;
(D) a country club membership;
(E) a vacation or other noncampaign-related trip;
(F) a household food item;
(G) a tuition payment;
(H) admission to a sporting event, concert, theater, or other form of entertainment not associated with an election campaign; and
(I) dues, fees, and other payments to a health club or recreational facility.'

Pretty clear, isn't it? Organizations like the RNC are prohibited from converting campaign contributions for personal use, including (explicitly) with respect to "clothing purchases".

Sec. 323
`(a) NATIONAL COMMITTEES-

`(1) IN GENERAL- A national committee of a political party (including a national congressional campaign committee of a political party) may not solicit, receive, or direct to another person a contribution, donation, or transfer of funds or any other thing of value, or spend any funds, that are not subject to the limitations, prohibitions, and reporting requirements of this Act.
`(2) APPLICABILITY- The prohibition established by paragraph (1) applies to any such national committee, any officer or agent acting on behalf of such a national committee, and any entity that is directly or indirectly established, financed, maintained, or controlled by such a national committee.

luckily Palin does not hold federal office.

 

[Silence]

luckily Palin does not hold federal office.

Amazing how there always seems to be a loophole at the ready for a Con to slither through

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Amazing how there always seems to be a loophole at the ready for a Con to slither through

Actually it isn't. It seems to say a Person no MATTER of position, it just mentions Federal office as one of those positions that are not exempt.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

The relevant portion being

(2) CONVERSION- For the purposes of paragraph (1), a contribution or donation shall be considered to be converted to personal use if the contribution or amount is used to fulfill any commitment, obligation, or expense of a person that would exist irrespective of the candidate's election campaign or individual's duties as a holder of Federal office, including--

Notice it does not qualify PERSON as just an elected federal official, it just mentions that as an elected federal official it gives no exception.

 

[Silence]

Actually it isn't. It seems to say a Person no MATTER of position, it just mentions Federal office as one of those positions that are not exempt.

so are you saying that the RNC and the McCain campaign broke the law by purchasing clothing for Palin?

 

[RetiredGySgt]

so are you saying that the RNC and the McCain campaign broke the law by purchasing clothing for Palin?

If the quote is accurate they violated that section yes. Of course who the hell cares? McCain can just reimburse the funds and be done with it.

 

[Silence]

If the quote is accurate they violated that section yes. Of course who the hell cares? McCain can just reimburse the funds and be done with it.

Well personally I don't care BUT the reality is if this were a Dem who had done this McCain and every Con on this board would be screaming to high heaven. I doubt seriously that even you would be saying "so what" if Obama had done this.

and McCain "remimbursing" doesn't make it right!

I wonder why Cindy McCain didn't just buy the clothes for her personally?

 

[DavidS]

Well personally I don't care BUT the reality is if this were a Dem who had done this McCain and every Con on this board would be screaming to high heaven. I doubt seriously that even you would be saying "so what" if Obama had done this.

and McCain "remimbursing" doesn't make it right!

I wonder why Cindy McCain didn't just buy the clothes for her personally?

Well, McCain spent a whole heckuva lotta time putting this bill together... it was very important to him.

 

[Caligirl]

The campaign didn't pay for it, the party did, precisely because of McCain feingold. At least that is how it was explained on MSNBC.

 

[Ravi]

The campaign didn't pay for it, the party did, precisely because of McCain feingold. At least that is how it was explained on MSNBC.

Yes, and this is exactly how the great reformer, McCain, gets around his own law...the RNC is paying many of his campaigning expenses, and many of his donors give money directly to the RNC.

McCain is a hypocrite of large porportion.

 

[Larkinn]

Yes, and this is exactly how the great reformer, McCain, gets around his own law...the RNC is paying many of his campaigning expenses, and many of his donors give money directly to the RNC.

McCain is a hypocrite of large porportion.

Yeah, there was no law broken here. In the primaries however, he did the break the law regarding public financing.