Obama's use of money questioned

[whirlygigspin]

http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071128/FRONTPAGE/711280303


Clinton implies PAC donations flouted law

"Hillary Clinton has raised questions about Democratic rival Barack Obama's use of a political action committee to funnel money to Democratic candidates in New Hampshire and other key early voting states...At issue is how candidates use their leadership PACs, which are designed to distribute money to other candidates and political committees. Candidates are forbidden from using leadership PACs to directly advance their campaigns, campaign finance experts said. After the Washington Post reported the donations earlier this week, the Clinton campaign released a statement implying that Obama was flouting campaign laws.

"It is our understanding that a candidate's campaign is barred from using the candidate's leadership PAC to benefit his or her campaign which is why we shut down Hill PAC when Senator Clinton announced her run for the White House," the statement said. "On the campaign trail, Senator Obama is outspoken about his desire to reform the campaign finance system, so it was surprising to learn that he has been using his PAC in a manner that appears to be inconsistent with the prevailing election laws."
Obama's campaign responded by denouncing the statement and upping the conflict, attempting to demonstrate larger differences between the candidates on financial disclosure.

"Whatever happened to the confident frontrunner who said she wouldn't attack other Democrats just two weeks ago?" Obama spokesman Bill Burton said in a statement. "The latest personal attack from Hillary Clinton is a completely false attempt to misrepresent Barack Obama's full disclosure of his campaign finances.

"Senator Obama's commitment to disclosure is one that Hillary Clinton does not share, and until Senator Clinton is willing to make this commitment by disclosing her White House records, the list of donors to her husband's presidential library, how much her bundlers raise, and releasing her personal tax returns to the public - she's not really in a position to point fingers at others," Burton said.

--outch! fling much mud?