'Old, tiring propaganda': DNC sparks debate as it goes after RFK Jr's super PAC and alleges Trump’s largest donor is propping up candidacy

WASHINGTON, DC: In a significant move, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) escalated its efforts against Robert F Kennedy Jr's campaign by filing a new complaint against American Values 2024, the primary super PAC supporting his candidacy, as per Fox News.

The DNC alleged that the super PAC is being financially propped up by Timothy Mellon, former President Donald Trump’s largest donor. On Thursday, May 30, the DNC submitted a supplemental complaint claiming that American Values 2024 had inaccurately reported financial transactions.

DNC accuses Robert F Kennedy Jr's super PAC of violating Federal Election Campaign Act

Specifically, the DNC asserted that the super PAC's monthly disclosure report, filed on May 20, misrepresented a payment from Gavin de Becker, a long-time ally of Kennedy, as a contribution rather than a loan.

De Becker, who runs a prominent California-based security and consulting firm, is the campaign's largest vendor. The DNC argued that this misclassification inflated the super PAC's financial support and obscured Mellon’s contributions.

The Kennedy campaign faced significant challenges, particularly in securing Secret Service protection, a crucial issue given the assassination of his father, Robert F Kennedy, and uncle, President John F Kennedy, in the 1960s.

Despite these obstacles, Kennedy announced an independent presidential bid in October of 2023, voicing dissatisfaction with the Democratic establishment.

The DNC’s complaint outlined several discrepancies in the super PAC's financial reporting. The central issue is a $4 million payment from de Becker on February 15, which was classified as a contribution rather than a loan.

The complaint highlighted a repayment of $2 million to de Becker on April 25, suggesting that the initial transaction should have been reported as a loan. Furthermore, the DNC claimed that an additional $2 million repayment towards this loan remains unreported.

"This ongoing violation continues to mislead the public, the press, and potential donors regarding the support for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s campaign," the complaint stated.

"The PAC's practice of masking these loans as contributions also obscures the fact that the principal super PAC supporting Mr. Kennedy's campaign has faced anemic fundraising until it was repeatedly bailed out by one of Donald Trump’s largest donors, Timothy Mellon."

According to the DNC, American Values 2024 reported $21 million in receipts from January to April. This total included a $4 million loan from de Becker and a $4 million payment from Nicole Shanahan, made just before she was announced as Kennedy's running mate.

The complaint further alleged that three-quarters of the remaining $13 million came from Mellon, a substantial supporter of Trump's super PAC. The DNC accused American Values 2024 of violating the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, aiming to undermine the integrity of the federal campaign finance process and the transparency that the law mandates.

DNC's complaint against Robert F Kennedy Jr's American Values PAC sparks debate online

The news of the DNC's complaint against Kennedy's American Values PAC sparked a heated debate online, with opinions sharply divided. One user on X dismissed the complaint as "This is old, tiring propaganda the @DNC keeps throwing out. It has been addressed too many times but if anyone’s interested in educating themselves; @AnnaRMatson had something for you read about the subject."

Another user remarked, "DNC who's candidates claim they are saving Democracy Are actually doing the reverse."

A user mentioned, "The Biden admin has demonstrated the rules don’t apply them. But… DNC senior adviser Mary Beth Cahill said in a statement Friday. 'The DNC is here to make sure RFK Jr.'s campaign plays by the rules and to remind voters that he is a spoiler for Donald Trump.' Banana republic!"

Another wrote, "If anything he takes some Trump votes. Biden is the establishment candidate." Conversely, a few users defended the DNC’s stance. One user stated, "No lies detected." Another user remarked, "He absolutely is a product of Republicans. He's the spoiler they hired."

A user stated, "Enough with the orange people," and another wrote, "Why is Trump’s donor propping up another candidate? Seems fishy, doesn’t it?"

 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.