RFK Jr. files FEC complaint over June 27 presidential debate criteria

RFK Jr.'s run has filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission that accuses CNN, President Biden, erstwhile President Donald Trump and their campaigns of violating national predetermination law. 

The Kennedy run claims CNN is approaching the statement criteria otherwise for Kennedy, an autarkic candidate, than for Trump and Mr. Biden, the presumptive nominees of their respective parties. CNN is holding the archetypal statesmanlike statement successful Atlanta on June 27, earlier either the Democratic Party oregon the Republican Party clasp their conventions to formalize their nominees. The Kennedy run is alleging the statement is an amerciable run publication to some Mr. Biden and Trump. 

"CNN is making prohibited firm contributions to some campaigns and the Biden committee and the Trump committee person accepted these prohibited firm contributions," the ailment says. 

CNN's statement criteria says a campaigner indispensable look connected a capable fig of authorities ballots to scope the 270 threshold for the presidency, and person astatine slightest 15% successful 4 large nationalist polls by June 20. Kennedy has not yet met the polling criteria oregon the ballot quality criteria. 

Still, the Kennedy run argues that, since neither Trump nor Mr. Biden has been officially nominated, they aren't eligible for immoderate electoral votes, portion Kennedy says helium whitethorn suffice successful a fistful of states. Candidates inactive person respective weeks to conscionable the qualification threshold. 

• RFK Jr.'s quest to get connected the statesmanlike ballot successful each 50 states

"By demanding our run conscionable antithetic criteria to enactment successful the statement than Presidents Biden and Trump, CNN's statement violates FEC instrumentality and is simply a ample prohibited firm publication to some the Biden and Trump campaigns," Kennedy said.

• RFK Jr. says helium suffered from a parasitic encephalon worm and mercury poisoning

The Kennedy run is asking the FEC to find the parties successful usurpation of the Federal Election Campaign Act, and halt them from participating successful the statement for now. 

CNN, however, defended their qualification rules. 

"The instrumentality successful virtually each authorities provides that the nominee of a state-recognized governmental enactment volition beryllium allowed ballot entree without petitioning," a CNN spokesperson said. "As the presumptive nominees of their parties some Biden and Trump volition fulfill this requirement. As an autarkic candidate, nether applicable laws RFK, Jr. does not. The specified exertion for ballot entree does not warrant that helium volition look connected the ballot successful immoderate state. In addition, RFK, Jr. does not presently conscionable our polling criteria, which, similar the different nonsubjective criteria, were acceptable earlier issuing invitations to the debate."

Both the Biden and Trump campaigns person besides agreed to statement connected ABC connected Sept. 10. The Biden run has accepted CBS News' invitation for a vice-presidential statement this summer, though the Trump run has yet to respond. 

In:
• RFK Jr.