Joe Biden Fined $219k For 2008 Presidential Campaign Violations

Editor’s Note – As expected, news such as this is dumped on the weekend, with little coverage expected.  But, not to worry, it’s “a relatively small” fine, according to Biden’s spokeswoman, which must mean it’s a relatively small violation.  Nothing to see here, folks, move along… 

At this point, you have to ask, is there anyone in Obama’s administration that has any respect for the rule of law?

Since ‘transforming America’ is such a huge task, the ends justifies the means, right?

Joe Biden Fined $219k For 2008 Presidential Campaign Violations

By Kenneth Vogel
Politico

The Federal Election Commission has penalized Vice President Joe Biden’s 2008 presidential campaign $219,000 for accepting over-the-limit contributions and a deeply discounted flight on a private jet owned by an embattled New York hedge fund, as well as for sloppy record-keeping.

 Biden’s campaign has indicated to the FEC that it will pay the penalty to the U.S. Treasury to resolve the campaign finance compliance issues, which were revealed in an audit report released Friday by the commission.

Elizabeth Alexander, a spokeswoman for Biden in the vice president’s office, called the FEC-ordered repayment “relatively small,” and said “some repayment is commonplace after presidential campaign audits.”

Biden was subject to the audit as a condition of accepting taxpayer funds for his campaign through the presidential public financing system.

It found that the campaign accepted an illegal corporate contribution in the form of a round-trip flight between New Hampshire and Iowa in June 2007 for three people on a private jet owned by GEH Air Transportation, LLC. Federal Aviation Administration records show that GEH Air Transportation is owned by the Clinton Group, a New York hedge fund controlled by George E. Hall.

Biden for President (BFP) reimbursed GEH Air Transportation, LLC $7,911 for the flight –the estimated cost of first-class airfare for three on a comparable commercial flight. But the FEC determined that the flight should have been reimbursed at a charter rate of $34,800.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0710/39875.html#ixzz0tye64VxZ