White House Says Obama Fundraising Appeal Not Illegal

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President Obama appealed to supporters and donors in a videotaped message emailed by his campaign team to millions of people Monday -- a message filmed with the president inside the White House by a crew from the Democratic National Committee, according to a White House official who responded to RCP questions about the solicitation.
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The president's video is accompanied by a donor solicitation form in which supporters of the administration can check boxes donating from $5 to $700 to the Obama-Biden re-election effort. This may, or may not, constitute fundraising by a federal employee in a federal office building, a practice that is generally prohibited. Even if it is fundraising, the statutory barriers regarding the White House itself are vague.

In response to questions about whether the president and his political team had stayed safely on the legal side of the relevant statutes, White House officials made three arguments. First, they said, an open process for small donors to essentially win a raffle is not the kind of fundraising prohibited under the law -- and the president didn't make a direct appeal for donations, anyway. Second, they pointed to a longstanding advisory opinion from the Justice Department that differentiates between the residence portion of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. -- where the aide said Obama had been filmed -- and official rooms in the White House. Third, they said, Obama's approach is in keeping with the practices of his predecessors.

So what say you? Do you believe President Obama violated any laws? Does the argument 'well Bill Clinton did it' make a legitimate defense? If this was a violation of the law do you believe there will be any repercussions?

What happened to the man who ran on a platform of transparency and good government? I guess that did not last long.

He violates them all the time. If you haven't noticed by now the guy is a megalomaniac who believes he is a king. He will continue to violate the laws until impeached or his term ends.

It's funny how a Constitutional Scholar has NO respect for the Law, when it comes to him.

I feel like everyday he wakes up he thinks how he is going to give us peons the Big Middle Finger.

What a disgrace this man has turned out to be.

Naming Bill Clinton has his Legal Guide isn't the best plan of action either. IMO

Is he violating any laws???? SSSSSSSSPPPPPPLLFFFTTTTT!!!


When he wakes in the morning he is thinking about ways to implement his control, that requires breaking laws.

Totally out of line, again, for Obama. Especially when you take the following into consideration

His campaign headquarters are located in Chicago. Either film your advertisements there or rent a room in the greater DC area to use for filming. Don't forget to pay for all of it out of the campaign coffers as well.

The new HQ is only 50,000 sq. ft...

The office is larger and more upscale then the headquarters used for Obama's 2008 campaign. The office is located in the Prudential Plaza, overlooking Millennium Park and Lake Michigan. The Obama campaign headquarters occupies 50,000 square feet on a single floor, which was not identified.

Pictures:
www.examiner.com...

What's next? Renting out the LIncoln Bedroom??

ETA:

Obama is walking a fine line between a simple campaign ad (which Clinton and Bush did) and overt fund raising activities. Big Difference. Remember Obama's recent closed door meeting with the "fat cats" to hunt for cash.??

Section 607 of Title 18 of the U.S. Criminal Code states very clearly there is to be no solicitation of campaign funds in federal government offices.

Let's do a quick walk back in time to the days of Al Gores clear violation of the law and a little help Asst. Attorney General Eric Holder. Oh, a familiar name. At the time Gore clearly made campaign funding phone calls from his official office. That was a felony violation of campaign finance laws. Poof!! it all went bye bye.

Holder shut down the case against Gore under the premise of "no controlling Legal authority" otherwise saying that their was a lack of legal authority/precedent/court decisions to interpret section 607. That move by Holder got Gore off the hook and potentially out of jail.

Expect Holder to play the same cards in defense of Obama!!!!!!

reply to post by Misoir


I'm waiting for the Breaking News/Political Madness headlines on ATS that say. . . .

White House Says Running For Life-Time POTUS Term Not Illegal

Just added some critical precedent in my previous post regarding the illegal fundraising that was conducted by Al Gore from his official VP office. Asst. AG Eric Holder back then made the case disappear.

Good topic - S & F

IMO if not a violation of the law, it is close enough to a violation that any administration that promised transparency and all the other clean government promises would steer clear of this to avoid the questions being raised on this thread.

to the obama administration for this one ...