The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has taken formal action by lodging a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), alleging potential illegal collaboration between independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign and a corresponding super PAC concerning ballot access.
The DNC’s move comes amid apprehensions that Kennedy’s candidacy could siphon votes away from President Joe Biden, potentially bolstering former President Donald Trump’s prospects in the upcoming presidential election.
Speaking to reporters via telephone, DNC attorney Robert Lenhard asserted that Kennedy’s campaign may have received an improper $15 million in-kind contribution from the super PAC, American Values 2024, as the latter assists in facilitating ballot access endeavors on Kennedy’s behalf.
Lenhard remarked on Friday, “The Kennedy campaign has acknowledged the arduous and costly nature of securing a place on the presidential ballot in all 50 states. Instead of undertaking this formidable task independently, utilizing funds raised within the confines of candidate contribution limits, the campaign appears to have opted for a shortcut, delegating what is typically a fundamental campaign responsibility to its associated super PAC.”
He continued, “American Values 2024 has publicly disclosed its intentions to finance signature collection efforts across more than a dozen states. In these jurisdictions, prevailing state regulations assume, and often mandate, that the candidate or their campaign committee personally oversee the steps necessary for ballot qualification. This entails submitting a preliminary signature petition for state endorsement, coordinating the submission of completed petition forms, designating individuals responsible for gathering signatures, and securing circulator certification.”
According to Lenhard, in accordance with state statutes, the Kennedy campaign and American Values 2024 are obligated to align their operations to ensure that the super PAC’s expenditures related to ballot access are treated as in-kind contributions to the campaign, as per FEC guidelines, rather than independent expenditures.
