Staff Reports
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has brought forth a new complaint, claiming that CNN had teamed up with the Biden and Trump campaigns to exclude him from a debate set for June 27. The complaint alleges that CNN worked with the two major party campaigns to create criteria for the debate, which ultimately ended up favoring the pre-selected participants, Biden and Trump. Kennedy’s campaign asserts that this collaboration violates federal campaign finance laws.
Kennedy’s complaint points to a story in The Washington Post that suggests Biden advisers informed CNN that the president would only engage in a one-on-one debate with Trump, effectively shutting out Kennedy. Furthermore, the complaint refers to an alleged conversation between a Trump campaign official and a CNN producer, where it was communicated that Kennedy would not be on the debate stage.
RFK Jr. Files FEC Complaint Claiming Debate Collusion: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s presidential campaign filed a Federal Election Commission (FEC) complaint on Tuesday claiming that CNN, former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden colluded to… https://t.co/594tZIvUF5 pic.twitter.com/LxVy2J37km
— ??NahBabyNah?? (@NahBabyNah) May 29, 2024
The complaint also highlights a letter from a “Biden Committee” to the Commission on Presidential Debates, advocating for a one-on-one debate with Trump. Both Biden and Trump forwent the Commission on Presidential Debates to participate in the CNN debate and an ABC News debate. Kennedy’s campaign argues that these actions violate the Federal Election Campaign Act.
Additionally, the campaign claims that CNN is making prohibited corporate contributions to both major party campaigns, which have apparently accepted these contributions. The criteria set by CNN for the debate include requirements such as access to state ballots and a certain threshold in national polls, which Kennedy’s campaign argues he has met.
However, CNN has refuted the allegations of collusion, stating that as an independent candidate, Kennedy does not meet their polling criteria and that being the presumptive nominees of their parties, both Biden and Trump will satisfy the ballot access requirement. CNN emphasizes that Kennedy’s mere application for ballot access does not guarantee his appearance on the ballot in any state.
Kennedy’s complaint urges the FEC to intervene and block the June 27 debate until the alleged violations of the Federal Election Campaign Act are rectified. The eligibility window for the debate is not yet closed, providing Kennedy with an opportunity to attempt to qualify.
Despite these developments, both Biden and Trump have sought to downplay Kennedy’s prospects. However, it remains uncertain how Kennedy’s candidacy might impact the election. The Trump campaign did not respond to the inquiries, while the Biden campaign directed the inquiries to the Democratic National Convention, which declined to comment.
In sum, the complaint filed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. raises concerns about the collaboration between CNN and the Biden and Trump campaigns, casting doubt on the fairness of the debate criteria and the exclusion of third-party candidates like Kennedy.
