NPR: Obama Camp Demands Investigation of Pro-Clinton 527

Obama Camp Demands Investigation of Pro-Clinton 527

The Obama campaign has accused an independent group supporting Hillary Clinton of violating election laws. The Obama camp wants an investigation by the Federal Election Commission or the Justice Department.

The American Leadership Project has spent several hundred thousand dollars for this attack ad in Indiana:

The project has run 4 TV ads this year -- two attacking Obama, two promoting Clinton.

Obama campaign lawyer Bob Bauer says that takes the group over the line into illegal territory. He says the Federal Election Commission set the standard in 2006 with cases against Swift Boat Veterans and other so-called 527 groups.

"There is no chance that ALP can credibly argue that it didn't know it was violating the law," says Bauer.

Lawyers for the American Leadership Project say that it can exist, legally, as a 527 group. They say it's concerned about issues and is not explicitly calling for Clinton to win the nomination.

-- Peter Overby

5:58 PM ET | 04-30-2008 | permalink

Comments (Send a comment)

If they are concerned about just issues then they can point to only issues, and no reference to any candidate whatsoever. There should not be the lest sign in whatever form that can be interpreted to any particular candidate. I guess they think they are dealing with................

Sent by Christy | 6:33 PM ET | 04-30-2008

If the independent group is not explicitly calling for Clinton to win the nomination, then why were there two TV ads attacking Obama and two TV ads promoting Clinton. If there not really Prompting Clinton then they should show it by running some credable TV ads promoting Obama and some credable ads attacking Clinton in enough time befor the Indiana cacus for the majority of the Indiana voters to see.

Sent by Chad Robinson | 8:32 PM ET | 04-30-2008

Gee whiz, if everybody is going to cry foul over all these ads...

Sent by zippy | 8:58 PM ET | 04-30-2008

One of the things I like about Obama is that he's not outlining some crazy agenda on the campaign trail. Everyone knows how congress works; why should any of the candidates be making all sorts of promises, outlining strategies when none of them could possibly know exactly what's in store for him/her come January? McCain and Clinton are the worst at promising they'll do "fill in the blank depending on the state being pandered to". I can imagine those old, fat, happy incumbents in Washington sitting back and sniggering, thinking, "Just wait". It's possible none of the candidates will be very effective as president, but I think McCain and Clinton will be the least effective because of the people who dislike them. I'd take Clinton over McCain because I think she's smarter, though I like McCain better. I'll take Obama over any of them because I'm willing to take a chance on what's behind door number three knowing what my other two options are.

Sent by sem | 11:56 AM ET | 05-01-2008

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