Staff Reports
Kamala Harris seems to be dancing a delicate jig to escape the towering shadow of President Biden, but her campaign’s choice of email domain suggests she might need a better partner. That’s right, it’s still “joebiden.com.” It’s a classic case of trying to sell a new car with the previous owner’s bumper stickers still plastered all over it. The email domain is among a treasure trove of assets that have transferred from the Biden campaign to Harris’s operation, including field office leases, a cadre of campaign staff, and, most importantly, a staggering pile of cash amounting to hundreds of millions.
This asset transfer has thrown a wrench into the gears of campaign finance law, leaving legal experts scratching their heads about whether it’s a legitimate move or the political equivalent of robbing Peter to pay Paul. Bradley E. Smith, a former FEC chairman, expressed skepticism regarding the legality of this transfer, suggesting that the practice could be walking a tightrope over a pit of alligators. Of course, the Democrats are known for their creative interpretations of the rules when it suits them, so why not add a little flair to campaign finance while they’re at it?
Unprecedented Biden-to-Harris campaign switcheroo is rife with thorny legal snags https://t.co/Et4YFKgKmW
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) August 5, 2024
Despite the name change, Harris’s campaign isn’t looking all that different from Biden’s. With a familiar face running the show—namely Biden’s campaign chair and campaign manager—Harris has essentially just swapped out the name on the marquee. Although she recently garnered the Democrat nomination through an online vote from party delegates—perhaps a vote that came from a mix of occupied Zoom meetings and snack breaks—many are left baffled at how a candidate can rise to the top without breaking a sweat in the primaries. Meanwhile, Biden donors must be waking up aghast, staring incredulously at their money being swept under Harris’s rug.
In her latest fundraising frenzy, Harris has reportedly raked in enough cash to fill a swimming pool with greenbacks, boasting a campaign coffers total of $377 million. It’s a stunning feat, especially amid a backdrop of Trump’s campaign escalating an FEC complaint alleging that Harris is pulling off a financial heist of $91.5 million in leftover campaign funds. Trump’s complaint makes it sound like Harris is not so much a candidate as she is a thief in a poorly named heist film, swiping Biden’s cash for her own use without the proper paperwork.
While Democrats might dismiss the complaint as a ploy born of jealousy, the situation hints at an unprecedented legal quagmire. Federal law states that the funds of a political party’s presidential candidate should not just be doled out left and right without formal nomination, and if anyone can spot a loophole in that, it’s the Democrats. Some argue Harris could be entitled to Biden’s funds since they’ve been joined at the hip in campaign filings for so long. However, legal experts warn that Harris can’t just cruise along without formally tying herself to the Democratic ticket for the upcoming election.
In the end, this won’t be resolved before voters head to the polls, as the FEC rarely operates at the speed of light. In fact, candidates and their campaigns are likely to remain in legal limbo until the next election cycle has come and gone, making this more of a sideshow than a front-page headline. So, as Harris presses forward with her newly acquired treasure chest, the question remains: can she break free from Biden’s clutches, or will she forever be known as the vice president clutching onto her predecessor’s discarded cloak?
