by WorldTribune Staff, July 22, 2024 Contract With Our Readers
The Biden-Harris ticket has built up a $100 million warchest for the 2024 presidential election campaign.
But, with Biden dropping out, and Harris not yet guaranteed a spot on the ticket, should that campaign cash be returned?
“Kamala Harris, the second half of the now broken Biden-Harris 2024 ticket, must become the presidential nominee, or the millions of dollars their campaign has raised for the general election will have to be refunded, according to federal election rules,” Washington Examiner columnist Paul Bedard noted in a Sunday analysis.
“Any new nominee would have to start fundraising from scratch.”
Former President and GOP nominee Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post: “So, we are forced to spend time and money on fighting Crooked Joe Biden, he polls badly after having a terrible debate, and quits the race. Now we have to start all over again. Shouldn’t the Republican Party be reimbursed for fraud in that everybody around Joe, including his doctors and the Fake News Media, knew he was not capable of running for, or being, President? Just askin’?”
Biden and his handlers did their part to keep the funds in the bank for Democrats as he gave in to party pressure, dropped out of the race, and endorsed Harris for the nomination. The Democratic National Convention in Chicago begins on Aug. 19.
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Since Biden and Harris ran together as a ticket, “only she would have access to the Biden-Harris funds if she takes the top spot,” Bedard wrote, citing a Federal Election Commission member.
“If Biden drops out and Harris isn’t the nominee, then there will have to be massive refunds of contributions to donors to the Biden campaign,” Election Commission member and election lawyer Trey Trainor told Bedard.
As most presidential campaigns do, Trainor said the Biden-Harris ticket took in large campaign donations and designated some to the primaries and some for the general election.
“Most presidential campaigns collect a contribution from donors in double the amount of the federal limit and allocate half to the primary election and half to the general election. Biden did that, and it was legal even though he really had no primary opposition. That means he and Harris have a large chunk of money that is only available to be spent in the general election,” Trainor said.
“However, if Harris doesn’t become the nominee, that means she never entered the general election, and those dollars are legally required to be refunded. The money cannot be transferred to the DNC or anywhere else — it must be refunded,” Trainor said.