‘Watchdog Groups’ Say 2016 Hopefuls Dodging Rules
1st April 2015
As the 2016 election nears, contenders in both parties have been hiring staffers, traveling to early-nominating stats and feverishly raising money. Their operations can look to some like campaigns—but they aren’t subject to any of the restrictions that would otherwise apply.
That’s the subject of complaints filed Tuesday with the Federal Election Commission by two campaign-finance watchdog groups, who allege that four potential contenders—former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker—are violating federal campaign finance laws.
How does one get to be a ‘watchdog group’? Apparently, coming up with an impressive-sounding name and reciting it to a reporter is sufficient. How about the more accurate ‘political stalking groups’?
The fact that three of the four are Republicans will not have been lost on the astute reader. Nor will the fact that Hillary Clinton has neither complied with this vague law nor been criticized by any of these so-called ‘watchdog groups’ for not doing so. Coincidence? I think not.