The Trump campaign has filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) claiming that President Joe Biden’s campaign excessively contributed to Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign by transferring $96 million to her account.
The complaint, filed on behalf of the Trump campaign by lawyer David Warrington, describes the transfer as “a brazen money grab” and suggests it would be the largest excessive contribution in the history of the Federal Election Campaign Act.
Harris’ campaign responded, calling the complaint “baseless legal claims” and claiming that they would only serve to distract from the campaign’s efforts. Campaign spokesman Charles Kretchmer Lutvak stated, “Republicans may be jealous that Democrats are energized to defeat Donald Trump and his MAGA allies, but baseless legal claims – like the ones they’ve made for years to try to suppress votes and steal elections – will only distract them while we sign up volunteers, talk to voters, and win this election.”
The complaint comes after Biden announced on Sunday that he would not seek another term as president and endorsed Harris to be the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee. The move prompted the Biden-Harris campaign to update its filings with the FEC to “rename its principal committee,” officially declaring Harris as a presidential candidate.
Trevor Potter, president of the Campaign Legal Center, noted that there are established Democratic Party rules and FEC regulations governing the transfer of campaign funds. The Trump campaign complaint alleges that Harris’ campaign has flouted these rules, while supporters of Harris point to the enormous grassroots support she has garnered.
In the 24 hours following Biden’s announcement, Harris’ campaign raised $81 million from 888,000 small donors, earning her endorsements from prominent Democratic figures including Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D), Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D), and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).
