Home > John Kerry sits on 51.6 million while third parties scramble for recount funds

John Kerry sits on 51.6 million while third parties scramble for recount funds

by Open-Publishing - Monday 15 November 2004
5 comments

Elections-Elected USA

Kerry Almost Doubles Bush’s Recount Funds
Primary campaign funds give Kerry the edge

By Alex Knott

WASHINGTON, November 1, 2004 - Sen. John F. Kerry may have a $24.8 million advantage over President George W. Bush in pursuing any recounts that result from Tuesday’s election, according to the campaigns’ most recent financial filings.

Under Federal Election Commission rules, both candidates are allowed to use remaining funds from their primary election committees to conduct recount activities, which in Kerry’s case amounts to just under $45 million. That compares to just more than $16 million left over in the Bush/Cheney primary election committee’s coffers.

Those funds, combined with the cash on hand each campaign reported for accounting and legal costs, give Kerry a total of $51.6 million that could possibly be used for potential recounts, according to the campaign’s pre-General Election filings. By contrast, the Bush campaign has $26.8 million. Bob Biersack, spokesperson for the Federal Election Commission, said "it’s possible" that Kerry could use the leftover $45 million from his primary funds for recounts. "There should not be any problem with them using primary funds for a recount," Biersack told the Center for Public Integrity. "One of the clearly permissible uses would be a transfer to a party and the party could use that money for a recount."

Recount Funds

The candidates’ funds would not be the only source of cash available for recount efforts. Both political parties are allowed to participate, and as in 2000 the campaigns could establish separate fundraising committees.

In phone calls with the Center, spokesmen for both the Kerry campaign and the Democratic National Committee would not speculate on how they intend to use the $45 million in leftover primary funds.

Kerry’s advantage stands in sharp contrast to the situation four years ago, when Bush raised $13.82 million for recount activities and Vice President Al Gore raised $3.46 million.

During that dispute, both campaigns used so-called 527 committees to pay the legal fees associated with the Florida recount, which ultimately led to Bush’s election victory.

While Kerry appears to have a recount funding advantage, it may be temporary. Last week, the FEC told the Associated Press that candidates will be allowed to raise money for recount costs through unlimited donations from individuals. Such large donations could tip the balance toward either candidate.

The maximum that an individual may donate to a candidate during an election is $2,000. But since recounts follow elections, they exist in a legal gray area where many FEC regulations used to limit large donations do not apply. That is why Gore received donations as large as $500,000 during the 2000 recount and Bush received more than 800 donations of $5,000 or more.

Forum posts

  • article originally here

    http://www.publicintegrity.org/bop2004/report.aspx?aid=418&sid=200

    Where is John Kerry’s integrity? This is ridiculous. Shouldn’t he have to give that money back so his donors can give it to someone who cares about our democracy?

    Cobb needs $120,000 for a recount and John Kerry can’t fork over the cash?

    If anyone would like to demand their money back from John Kerry- send it instead to

    http://www.votecobb.org

    • I read that NH is trying to charge Nader for the recount- claiming it’s going to cost $50-70,000. If kerry won’t give the money back, maybe someone can start a class-action lawsuit and sue the weakest candidate in history. i’m sure millions of Americans want their money back and this thing would build up in no time.

      What if they fixed NH to make the pres race look closer but more importantly to steal it from Granny D. Let me tell you, Granny D scares the shit out of the powers that be, a straight speaking Granny that would slap some sense into the Senate. You don’t have to be a conspiracy theorist to read that Granny D signed the 911 truth statement along with Howard Zinn, Catherine Austin-Fitts, Cynthia McKinney, Ralph Nader, Ray McGovern and more prominent American intellectuals. Granny D can’t be bought- perhaps she could even wake the sleeping Senate... you think they wouldn’t steal it? They lied to start a war! They will do anything it takes to not get caught.

      We Want Real Answers About 9/11

      – On August 31, 2004, Zogby International, the official North American political polling agency for Reuters, released a poll that found nearly half (49.3%) of New York City residents and 41% of those in New York state believe US leaders had foreknowledge of impending 9/11 attacks and "consciously failed" to act. Of the New York City residents, 66% called for a new probe of unanswered questions by Congress or the New York Attorney General.

      – In connection with this news, we have assembled 100 notable Americans and 40 family members of those who died to sign this 9/11 Statement, which calls for immediate public attention to unanswered questions that suggest that people within the current administration may indeed have deliberately allowed 9/11 to happen, perhaps as a pretext for war.

      http://www.911truth.org/article.php?story=20041026093059633

    • How can John Kerry( richest US senator-record for taking most lobby money) take money from working democrats to pay for recounts and then not use the money? Is he keeping it for another run at the white house? How is it possible he thinks that anyone who choose him again? Because it is diebold and friends in high places that chose him in the primaries this time! What an obvious fool. We are turning the tables over on you and your evil cabal.

      Hope is on the way? Here’s to hoping you are thrown out of the senate ASAP and your buddy W is thrown in Jail for treason!

    • Don’t sit in judgment of John Kerry too soon. My belief is that he knew there were problems and he’s just playing possum, knowing that eventually, Bush and the manipulation of millions of votes will be exposed. It’s been reported already that Kerry’s lawyers are on fact-findng missions in a variety of states, Florida and Ohio amongst them.

      Give it a few more days. Kerry knows what he’s doing.

    • Of course he knows what he’s doing. He’s got you trained with the language. He tried to play both sides, but got caught. Instead of telling it like it is...when he was marching in the 70’s. "How do you tell the last soldier to die for a lie....", He decided to play possum.

      What’s with all the secrecy, expose the corrupt media...I mean, they took him to task on swift vets and won’t tell us anything(important) about Iraq, bush, voting, and won’t expose the lies. I have to come to bellaciao for truth and then here the opinion of the left-gate keeper phony left media democratic ad nauseum.

      ...now step aside and let some people who are not afraid to tell it like it is...radical?...progressive? change?....you bet your ass. Your with us...or against us...as hillary clinton said(look it up duh-mock-RATS)

      Republicans=jump
      Democrats=how high?
      Independents=step aside

      Why don’t democrats just lay down, the counter culture is coming, how does that saying go: "don’t be a square"...today we just call you sellouts.