The Minnesota DFL Party filed a complaint today with the FEC regarding how Norm Coleman is paying for his recount efforts. Norm doesn't have the personal wealth to fund this himself plus the Republican donors aren't probably all that excited about funding a losing proposition. So this means Norm needed to go where Republicans get the vast majority of their donations ... corporations. But Melendez and Co. think there is something underhanded going on.
At a press conference this afternoon at the Minnesota State Capitol, Minnesota DFL Chair Brian Melendez announced the filing of a Federal Election Commission (FEC) complaint against former U.S. Senator Norm Coleman and the Republican National Lawyers Association (RNLA).
The complaint, filed today with the FEC, alleges that: the RNLA is funding Coleman's recount committee with illegal contributions in excess of legal limits; the RNLA is funding Coleman's recount committee with illegal contributions from corporations; the RNLA has failed to register with the FEC, as its contributions to Coleman's recount require it to; and Coleman has failed to report any contributions from the RNLA.
(DFL email press release)
Norm just cannot steer clear of controversy. From a sweetheart apartment deal to utility bills paid for by a business owned by his landlord to expensive suits paid for by a Nasser Kazeminy to Kazeminy funneling money to him, Norm appears to have caught a bad case of corruption.
The essential argument in the filing is that Norm is receiving soft money in excess of legal limits and he's getting these donations from corporations.
Because the RNLA is an unregistered 527 that receives corporate contributions and contributions in excess of the limits of FECA, it may not make contributions to Coleman for Senate 08, the Coleman Minnesota Recount Committee, or the Republican Party of Minnesota's federal account.
(excerpt from the FEC complaint)
How did the DFL find out about this? Because Dick Morris wrote a post begging for money to stop Al Franken from stealing the election.
We must not allow the Minnesota Democrats to get away with this election heist. The Republican National Lawyers Association is getting the word out and needs all the support they can get.
You can help stop Al Franken by supporting the Republican National Lawyers Association - Go Here Now. (NewsMax)
Seriously. This seems to be a coordinated effort. Did anyone bother to run this by legal?
Another part of the complaint is that the RNLA hasn't registered with the FEC which is required by law.
Any political committee that makes contributions or expenditures aggregating in excess of $1,000 during a calendar year must file a statement of organization with the FEC. 2 U.S.C. ยงยง 431(4), 433. If the RNLA has made contributions to Coleman's recount effort in excess of $1,000, it would have been required to register as a political committee. It failed to do so.
(excerpt from the FEC complaint)
Oops.
This is so incompetent that it seems to me that Chair of the MN Republicans Ron Carey must be involved. It's just too stupid to be anything else. For those of you not familiar with Ron Carey or for those of you who just want to read for yourself how incompetent and bone-headed Ron Carey is, just check out this search of my old blog, mnblue.
