McCain Camp Denies DNC Charges That It Underpaid Feds for Overseas Campaign Expenses
John McCain’s campaign is firing back against accusations from the Democratic National Committee that he is underpaying the federal government by as much as $53,000 for his overseas trip to Europe and the Middle East that mixed campaign and official business.
FOX News has obtained a March 14 letter sent from the Senate ethics committee to McCain in response to a request for a ruling on how to pay for the campaign aspects of the overseas trip. The letter said the payment methods McCain proposed appeared “consistent with the requirement of Senate standards.”
The McCain campaign adamantly denies any wrongdoing and insists everything was vetted in advance by the Federal Election Commission and the Senate ethics committee. The campaign said Thursday it would reimburse the federal government about $3,000 for political travel expenses incurred during the trip.
Before traveling to Paris Friday, McCain on Thursday was in Britain, where he attended a $1,000-per-person fundraising lunch at London’s Spencer House. McCain has been traveling with Sens. Joe Lieberman, a Connecticut independent, and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., both supporters of his candidacy. The group had already been to Iraq, Jordan and Israel. The campaign has defended the mostly taxpayer-financed trip as crucial for members of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Under terms reviewed by the Federal Election Commission and the Senate ethics committee, McCain will reimburse the federal government $3,000 for a one-night stay at a London hotel and first-class airfare from Washington to London because of the political nature of the event there. McCain had already agreed to pay more than $2,000 for the flight home.
But the DNC in a statement said fell the reimbursement fell “far short” of what he should pay.
“The 2007 ethics reform law and the regulations implementing it require that when a candidate mixes campaign and official travel when using a government plane, the campaign travelers must reimburse the government for the full cost of an equivalent round trip charter flight,” DNC General Counsel Joe Sandler said. “Reasonable estimates place the cost of a one-way charter flight from Washington to London at between $20,000 and $56,000. As a result, McCain’s stated intention to reimburse the federal government $3,000 almost certainly falls far short of what the law requires.”
FOX News’ Carl Cameron and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
seems the Dems are really scraping for something to whine about…
a one way flight to europe (private charter or not ) is no where near 20-56K
My question is ..Under what authority does a senator (Obama) think his job is to fly to Kenya to try to” mediate” a political dispute over elections?? His “meeting” was to” convince” the elected leader to speak with the opposition leader.. The ranting leader Odinga was claiming that the elections were rigged and he should be president…the Odinga guy is affiliated with the lao tribe just like Obama’s dad and relatives..
.. Guess Obama doesn’t know or care that the State department IS responsible for DEVELOPING and DELIVERING US foreign policy. So.. How much did that trip cost? Did he go when the senate was out of session or just cash his paycheck for a personal trip to help out Odinga? How much more of our tax $$ was spent when the diplomats/foreign service folks had to “explain” to Kenya’s leader that NO official in congress speaks for or sets US foreign policy.
Additionally, who screamed when HRC went to Isreal stayed a few “extra days for the wining dining,photo ops and special tours of the holy hot spots?? Anybody wonder what that cost??did she pay for feeding and housing her retinue??or the cost for extra security?
Sarah, what are you screaming about, Obama or Hilary name is not mention in this article. Stop Hating. If John McCane is on the Govement Dime he should not be campaigning and raising money for his campaign. Charter your own plane and pay for your own hotel. Stop using our government money. And since you want to compare Obama and Hilary to John McCane on this issue. Show me where they are campaigning and holding fund raising events while they are on the Government expense.
Sounds like an attack indirectly from the Obama camp!
He’s always trashing other people hoping his own trash won’t smell!
The best way to make it fair would be to make every Politicians pay for their own transportation. This would include the Speaker of the house. The only person that would have any free transportation would be the President and his party. All others, buy your own aircraft. how many times has the Democrats Senators and Speaker of the House flown to the middle East. Did the DNC say anything about that? McCain should tell the DNC to get loss.
Those boneheads at the DNC can’t even run a primary election withour screwing Michigan and Florida voters. Keep it up DNC, you are about to overplay your hand.
The only thing the DNC does is take away voting right from Florida and Michigan.
The DNC is breaking federal laws by tampering with the voting rights of Americans
both state parties broke rules that were set, lets be realistic, no one has voted before those states as long as i can remember, they knew the rules and broke them, so if you want to be pissed at someone, be pissed at those state parties, its not disenfranchising, if you kill someone, you have broken the law correct, when caught you are punished
This looks to me as if the DNC is trying to create a diversion to take attention from Obamas troubles of late! A very clumsy and obvious effort at best.
You tell ‘em Sarah! Dems are dying for something to fuss about while this Wright mess is still smelling! Dems don’t realize that there is a “silent” majority just waiting to vote for McCain. See if we put stickers on our cars people break the windshield wipers while we are shopping. Happened to me that last election. I keep a low profile.