Calblog

LA Times blurb on FEC complaint against KFI's John & Ken (And copy of the complaint itself)

Update: A copy of the FEC complaint itself can be found here. (PDF file - Adobe Acrobat required)

Update II: Explanation of why this a frivolous complaint below.

Update III: Debate over Political Human Sacrifice continues at Free Republic and now over at Lucianne.com. The wires have now picked up the story. More coverage here.

Small blurb in the LA Times today about this:

The Battle Over the Airwaves I

Stung by a radio campaign to oust veteran Rep. David Dreier, the National Republican Congressional Committee has filed a federal elections complaint. It contends that an ongoing campaign by a pair of radio talk-show hosts represents an illegal contribution to Dreier's opponent.

Dreier (R-San Dimas) has been taking a beating at the hands of radio hosts John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou of KFI-AM (640) radio in Los Angeles. They have launched an on-air campaign to oust the 24-year veteran for what they claim is a lax record on illegal immigration. Dreier's opponent, Cynthia Matthews, has appeared on "The John and Ken Show" during the campaign.

The radio hosts say they have offered to have Dreier appear on their show to defend his record on illegal immigration, but he has declined. Kobylt called the complaint "absurd" said he and Chiampou did not plan to retreat from their efforts to oust Dreier.

*

Meanwhile, the discussion over at Free Republic about this topic is worth checking out. It seems to mirror the sharp disagreements by the readers of this blog as well as the other sites that discuss the merits of Political Human Sacrifice.

Update II: It should be obvious to anyone reading the complaint itself that

it is frivolous on its face.

But for those who need extra convincing, here are the relevant parts of the campaign finance laws:

2 U.S.C. 431

When used in this Act...

(8)(B) The term ''contribution'' does not include -
(i) the value of services provided without compensation by any individual who volunteers on behalf of a candidate or political committee;...

(9)(B) The term ''expenditure'' does not include -
(i) any news story, commentary, or editorial distributed through the facilities of any broadcasting station, newspaper, magazine, or other periodical publication, unless such facilities are owned or controlled by any political party, political committee, or candidate;"

2 U.S.C. 434

(f)(3)(B)(i)The term ‘electioneering communication’
does not include—

[A] communication appearing in a news story,
commentary, or editorial distributed through the facilities of any broadcasting station, unless such facilities are owned or controlled by any political party, political committee, or candidate"

(emphasis added)

Posted by Justin Levine at October 29, 2004 01:37 PM | TrackBack