Trump files lawsuit against Harris for taking control of Biden campaign funds – National
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump The campaign filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission on Tuesday, claiming that the vice president Kamala Harris could not legally take charge of the funds collected by the president Joe Biden re-election campaign.
Biden, an 81-year-old Democrat who was in a tight race with Republican opponent Donald Trump, endorsed Harris when he ended his reelection campaign Sunday. Harris quickly took control of Biden’s campaign accounts and wrapped up the nomination Monday night by securing pledges from a majority of the delegates who, at the party convention next month, will determine the nominee, according to her campaign.
The battle over the accounts, which had about $95 million in the bank at the end of June, is part of a multipronged effort by Republicans to thwart Harris’ bid to lead the Democratic ticket.
The Trump campaign has alleged that Harris committed “brazen financial fraud,” according to the filing by David Warrington, the campaign’s legal adviser. In the filing, which was shared with Reuters, Warrington said Harris was committing what he described as “the largest campaign finance violation in American history.”
Saurav Ghosh, an attorney at the Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan watchdog group, said that since Harris was already part of “Biden for President” as a vice presidential candidate, her request for the money should be guaranteed.
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In any case, election regulators are unlikely to resolve the problem before the November 5 presidential election.
The FEC said it was unable to comment on unresolved enforcement issues.
Harris’ campaign said it has raised $100 million since Sunday, when Biden withdrew from the campaign and endorsed her — surpassing Biden’s remaining total in just a few days. Her campaign has brushed off the FEC complaint.
“Republicans may be jealous that Democrats are motivated 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 register volunteers, talk to voters, and win this election,” Harris campaign spokesman Charles Kretchmer Lutvak said.
–Reporting by Alexandra Ulmer; additional reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; editing by Mary Milliken and Christopher Cushing
