WH Rigs FEC Enforcement Decision by Removing Mason Constitutes Political Obstruction of Justice

[maddezmom]

White House Move Yesterday to Rig FEC Enforcement Decision by Removing David Mason from FEC Constitutes Political Obstruction of Justice
Wednesday, May 07, 2008


Nomination of NRCC Counsel and Former Tom DeLay Lawyer Don McGahn
to Replace Mason on FEC Makes Clear White House
Wants Republicans Protected, Not Laws Enforced

“The White House action taken yesterday to rig any FEC enforcement decision concerning campaign finance questions that have been raised regarding the presumptive Republican nominee for President, Senator John McCain (R-AZ), constitutes political obstruction of justice,” according to Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer.

“The White House action powerfully demonstrates why there must be a new approach to enforcing the nation’s campaign finance laws,” Wertheimer said.

Yesterday, the White House withdrew the nomination of “holdover” FEC Commissioner David Mason to continue to serve as a Commissioner on the FEC.

The White House got rid of Mason after President Bush twice had found him to be an acceptable Republican appointee to the Commission.

In December 2005, President Bush made a recess appointment of Mason to serve on the FEC. In January 2007, after the recess appointment ran out, President Bush nominated Mason for Senate confirmation to fill a Republican seat on the Commission.


http://www.democracy21.org/index.asp?Type=B_PR&SEC={91FCB139-CC82-4DDD-AE4E-3A81E6427C7F}&DE={AC0508B5-1235-4785-9B6B-E57C727F7D4C}

[maddezmom]

1. The F in FEC: Farcical? Fantasy? Phony?

The F in FEC: Farcical? Fantasy? Phony?

Posted by Michael Scherer

For years now, the Federal Election Commission has been, more or less, a joke, dominated by political pressures as much as clear thinking. As a result of political infighting, it does not even have enough commissioners to act on anything right now. In fact, the only action of note that anyone at the FEC has taken in the last several months was a letter written by chairman David Mason back in February raising questions about whether or not the McCain campaign would be able to legally back out of public financing in the primary. (McCain originally sought public matching funds for the primary, which come with spending limits, but then changed his mind, claiming that he had never made use of the federal money.)

In his letter, Mason did not say that McCain had broken any rules. He just raised concerns, and said that the full commission would have to consider McCain’s request to back out of the program, once there was a full commission to consider the request.

So how was Mason rewarded? He basically got fired by the White House yesterday, or as they say would say in Washington speak, “his reappointment confirmation request was withdrawn.”

Here is how Fred Wertheimer, a campaign finance reformer and historical McCain ally, responded to the news here:

The only apparent reason for President Bush to drop Commissioner David Mason at this stage, an FEC candidate he had twice proposed for the Commission, is to prevent him from casting an adverse vote against Senator McCain on important enforcement questions pending at the Commission. The questions deal with Senator McCain’s request to withdraw from the presidential primary public financing system and the consequences of a loan the McCain campaign took out and the collateral provided for the loan.Rick Hansen, a respected election law professor at Loyola, agrees. The Campaign Legal Center also objects to the removal of Mason.

Bob Bauer, an election lawyer who advises Barack Obama, chimed in on his blog. (Since when did lawyers all get their own blogs?):

more:http://www.time-blog.com/swampland/2008/05/the_f_in_fec_farcical_fantasy.html