Trump campaign files FEC complaint trying to block Biden funds transferring to Harris

Kristen Holmes, Kate Sullivan and Fredreka Schouten, CNN

(CNN) — The Trump run connected Tuesday revenge a title pinch nan Federal Election Commission arguing money raised for President Joe Biden’s reelection bid cannot beryllium transferred to Vice President Kamala Harris’ statesmanlike campaign.

The title was revenge by nan Trump campaign’s wide counsel David Warrington and argues transferring nan costs would magnitude to “little much than a thinly cloaked $91.5 cardinal excessive publication from 1 statesmanlike campaigner to another.”

“Kamala Harris is seeking to perpetrate a $91.5 cardinal dollar heist of Joe Biden’s leftover run rate — a brazen money drawback that would represent nan azygous largest excessive publication and biggest usurpation successful nan history of nan Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, arsenic amended,” the complaint, a transcript of which was obtained by CNN, states.

The title is against Biden, Harris, nan Biden run (which is now nan Harris campaign) and run treasurer Keana Spencer for allegedly “flagrantly violating nan Act by making and receiving an excessive publication of astir 1 100 cardinal dollars, and for filing fraudulent forms pinch nan Commission purporting to repurpose 1 candidate’s main run committee for nan usage of different candidate.”

Harris run spokesperson Charles Kretchmer Lutvak responded to nan FEC title successful a connection Tuesday, saying, “Republicans whitethorn beryllium suspicious that Democrats are energized to conclusion Donald Trump and his MAGA allies, but baseless ineligible claims – for illustration nan ones they’ve made for years to effort to suppress votes and bargain elections – will only distract them while we motion up volunteers, talk to voters, and triumph this election.”

The connection besides cited nan campaign’s fundraising efforts truthful far, “raising $100 cardinal successful our first 36 hours and signing up 58,000 volunteers.”

It’s improbable that nan committee would return immoderate action until good aft Election Day, fixed its slow gait of resolving enforcement questions.

“I don’t deliberation astir run finance lawyers judge that this is simply a champion reference of nan law,” Rick Hasen, an predetermination rule master astatine UCLA’s rule school, told CNN connected Tuesday of nan Trump campaign’s argument. But, he added, “that doesn’t mean it can’t get tied up successful FEC proceedings for years.”

An FEC spokesperson declined to comment, citing nan agency’s argumentation connected not discussing enforcement matters.

Veteran Republican predetermination lawyer Charlie Spies, who concisely served arsenic nan RNC’s wide counsel earlier this year, based on precocious that nan Biden-Harris squad must beryllium formally nominated by their statement earlier immoderate money could beryllium shifted.

“If President Biden is committed to passing nan torch to his vice president, and wants to beryllium capable to seed her run pinch nan existent Biden for President run warfare chest, he’ll first person to go his party’s ineligible nominee,” Spies wrote successful an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal earlier Biden’s exit from nan race.

But different run finance experts disagree. And Federal Election Commissioner Dara Lindenbaum, a Democrat viewed arsenic a plaything ballot connected nan evenly divided commission, has said Harris could entree what Biden raised done nan run committee because it is registered for some nan president and vice president.

Lindenbaum wrote connected X, “If Kamala Harris becomes nan Democratic Party nominee, she gets entree to nan Joe Biden run funds.”