As former President Donald Trump continues to tease a future White House bid, a pro-Democratic super PAC has accused him of violating federal campaign laws by raising and spending money for a run without officially filing his candidacy.
In its complaint filed Monday with the Federal Election Commission, American Bridge accused Trump of “illegally using his multicandidate leadership PAC to raise and spend funds in excess of Commission limits for the purpose of advancing a 2024 presidential campaign.” The super PAC says that includes “payments for events at Trump properties, rallies featuring Mr. Trump, consulting payments to former Trump campaign staff, and digital advertising about Mr. Trump’s events and his presumptive 2024 opponent.”
Alleging that Trump has already privately decided to mount a 2024 campaign, American Bridge says he was then obligated to file a candidacy intent statement within 15 days of receiving contributions or making any expenditure over $5,000.
“Trump has played footsie with the Federal Election Campaign Act for months,” the group said Monday, noting that the former president, through his Save America PAC, has spent more than $100,000 per week on Facebook ads “and has consistently raised more than $1 million per week — a clear violation of campaign finance law and precedent established by the Federal Election Commission.”
