Trevor Potter Comments on Campaign Watchdogs Claim 2016 Hopefuls Are Skirting Finance Laws

Caplin & Drysdale's Trevor Potter commented on complaints filed with the Federal Election Commission by two watchdog groups, The Campaign Legal Center and Democracy 21, against former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walkers, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, and former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley for flying to early primary states and raising millions of dollars, while denying that they are "testing the waters" of a presidential campaign. For the complete story please visit, The Sun Herald's website.  
  
Excerpt taken from the article.

Bush frequently prefaces his remarks to audiences with what he says is "the legal part of this," telling listeners that he's "seriously considering the possibility of running for president."

"All of that now allows me to talk about that possibility in a way that doesn't trigger a campaign, so thank you all very much for allowing me to be lawyered up, make sure I get that part right," Bush told a fundraiser in Des Moines, Iowa, in early March.

Trevor Potter, a former FEC chairman and president of the Campaign Legal Center, said Bush appeared to be trying a "double disconnect" to avoid triggering the federal limits.

Potter acknowledged the makeup of the Federal Election Commission – the six-member panel is ideologically split 3-3 – has hampered its ability to take action on many recent campaign finance cases.

"But just because candidates appear to be ignoring the law doesn't mean that everyone else should," Potter said. "You have to keep trying."