RNC files fundraising complaint

RNC files fundraising complaint
Group calls for audit of Obama donations.

Published Tuesday, October 7, 2008

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Republican National Committee filed a complaint yesterday alleging Democrat Barack Obama’s presidential campaign has received illegal contributions from foreigners and donations that exceed federal limits.

The complaint filed with the Federal Election Commission is based largely on media reports, including one from a conservative news Web site that suggests donors who listed their state as "IR" might have been from Iran. In FEC reports, the designation "IR" typically stands for "information requested" because the donor did not supply it.

In the complaint, the RNC asks the commission to audit Obama’s campaign fund to determine whether it has violated the law by accepting money from noncitizens and whether individual donors have exceeded contribution limits.

In response, Obama spokesman Bill Burton said, "We constantly review our donors for any issues, and while no organization is completely protected from Internet fraud, we will continue to review our fundraising procedures to ensure that we are taking every available step to root out improper contributions."

Federal law prohibits contributions from foreign nationals, and individuals are limited to contributions of no more than $2,300 per election. That means a person can contribute $2,300 to Obama for the primary elections and $2,300 for the general election.

The FEC routinely has notified both campaigns that their cumulative financial reports show many contributors have exceeded the limits.

The RNC complaint says Obama’s campaign has remedied several excessive contributions but has "failed to refund or reattribute the full excessive portion in all situations."