7-20-2022
Trump is illegally running for president undeclared —
and the nation's top election agency is letting it happen:
lawsuit.
On Wednesday, The Daily Beast reported that a Democratic super PAC has sued the Federal Election Commission, alleging that former President Donald Trump is unlawfully running a 2024 presidential campaign without actually having declared it and subjecting himself to the reporting requirements — and the FEC is letting it happen.
"The group, American Bridge, filed a lawsuit against the Federal Election Commission over those allegations, demanding that the campaign finance watchdog address Trump’s actions and the 'competitive edge' they might give him," reported Alice Tecotzky.
"As The New York Times reported, the FEC hasn’t made Trump register a campaign committee, and American Bridge claims that he is therefore 'disguis[ing] his run for the presidency.' The camouflaged candidate has thus left voters 'in the dark about the contributions and expenditures he has received,' thereby giving him a fundraising advantage."
Elections experts have sounded the alarm about the former president's refusal to formally announce his candidacy, with attorney Chris Truax arguing that the arrangement violates the Federal Election Campaign Act.
"The PAC filed a complaint against Trump with the FEC in March, and says that if the commission fails
to act within 30 days, it should face repercussions along with the former president," the report noted.
Previous reports have suggested that Trump has been seriously tempted to announce his candidacy right now, to try to suck the oxygen out of media focus on the January 6 hearings in Congress.
But announcing now would come with serious risks for Republicans. According to former Republican strategist Tara Satmeyer, a Trump announcement ahead of the 2022 midterms could force tons of GOP candidates to spend the entire cycle clarifying their relationship with and stance on the former president, rather than focus on economic issues and other things voters are worried about.
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