On October 9th the nonpartisan citizen's group Common Cause formally requested that the U.S. Department of Justice name an independent counsel to conduct a criminal investigation of allegations that both the Clinton and Dole presidential campaigns had knowingly and willfully violated federal campaign laws. Common Cause uncovered these violations by analyzing hundreds of Federal Election Commission filings and other documents, which showed that the two campaigns funneled tens of millions of dollars of campaign contributions through state parties in an illegal attempt to circumvent campaign spending limits and the prohibition on using soft money (such as the notoriously large contributions that have been in the news of late) in federal election campaigns. Common Cause has documented how the Clinton committee laundered in this manner, at least $22 million dollars, and the Dole committee, at least $9 million.
These are serious charges and were not made lightly. Not since 1972 has any presidential campaign, let alone both, so egregiously violated federal law, a fact certainly not lost on the former Watergate Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox, who is now a Common Cause National Governing Board member. We cannot yet know exactly which charges will arise from this situation. Common Cause alleges that the Clinton and Dole committees knowingly and willfully overspent the federal campaign limits (and so obtained federal campaign funds duplicitously) and also violated numerous other facets of campaign law. These acts, plus the magnitude of the sums involved, suggest that the charges eventually filed could hardly be less than felonies. Even worse, Common Cause reports that the candidates themselves knew of, approved of, and in some instances, even participated in, many of these activities. Horrible as it is to consider, impeachment or resignation await the next President if he is found culpable for the illegal acts alleged by Common Cause.
Our law states that a person is innocent until proven guilty, and it would be wrong to say here or elsewhere that the two candidates are guilty of violating federal election laws - the final rulings on that will likely take place years from now. Nevertheless, each of us has a deep and abiding interest in keeping from the presidency any man willing to violate our nation's electoral laws to attain that office. To know of, and to tolerate such behavior, would be to deny the rule of law in our land. Our duty then, in the absence of a trial which cannot possibly come before the election, is to each review the evidence and determine, to the best of our abilities, the validity of Common Cause's complaint against each of the two candidates and their committees. Voters do have options beyond the Democratic and Republican nominees, and can take some comfort in knowing that none of the third party candidates are suspected of any campaign law violations whatsoever.
The task before you is not insurmountable. Here are some sources you may wish to consult so that you may make an informed decision: