Democrats Claim Dole's Campaign Is Overspending

By Brooks Jackson/CNN

WASHINGTON (June 12) -- Democrats say Citizen Dole is flunking civics. Democratic National Committee chairman Don Fowler officially accused Bob Dole's campaign of violating pre-nomination spending limits by at least $343,000 and said the Federal Election Commission should step in to keep the total from climbing even higher.

Fowler attacked Dole's personal character. "This is about public trust," Fowler told reporters. "Bob Dole promised the American people that in return for millions of taxpayer dollars he would obey the law. He has broken that promise and he has violated that trust."

But a look at the history of similar complaints shows this sword can cut both ways. President Bill Clinton's own 1992 campaign was accused by federal auditors of gouging taxpayers. Clinton's campaign got federal matching funds -- ostensibly for his primary campaign -- based on contributions received after he was nominated.

FEC auditors wanted Clinton to repay $4 million, which would have been the most ever. But the three Democratic commissioners vetoed that and the watchdog agency deadlocked on partisan lines. Said Fowler: "The Clinton campaign has never, ever been found guilty of any violation of the federal election campaign act or paid one penny in penalties."

No civil penalties were paid, but the Clinton campaign still repaid taxpayers more than $1.3 million even after FEC Democrats softened the audit findings.

And how about House Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt (D-Mo.)? The FEC found his 1988 presidential campaign went over the spending limit in Iowa by more than $450,000 -- nearly 60 percent higher than allowed. He had to give back nearly $120,000.

Candidates have been overspending ever since limits were enacted. Ronald Reagan went $30,000 over the limit in New Hampshire in 1976 and nearly $55,000 over in 1980.

Also in 1980, Jimmy Carter overspent in Iowa, New Hampshire and Maine. And Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) broke the limits in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Limit-busting hasn't worked very well as a campaign issue. In 1984, former Sen. Gary Hart (D-Colo.) attacked former vice president Walter Mondale for using so-called "delegate committees" to evade the limits. "Give the money back, Walter," Hart said at a press conference. Hart lost even though he was right. Mondale eventually paid a whopping $350,000 to settle the FEC's findings of illegality.

In 1992, Democratic Ohio Sen. John Glenn's opponents brought up $2 million in bank loans to his 1984 presidential campaign, loans the FEC said were illegal. But Glenn won that Senate campaign, and those old loans are still not paid off.

Today, the Dole campaign denied overspending. And Dole pointed to Clinton's use of leftover federal primary funds against him. "I am more concerned about Clinton getting $11 million from the FEC when he really didn't have an opponent," Dole said. "I think he ought to refund the $11 million."

However Dole's spending plays out as a political issue, don't expect a legal decision any time soon. George Bush violated the primary spending limits in 1988. And it took the FEC until last December to close the case -- with a stern letter telling the ex-president, in effect: don't do it again.

This story originally appeared on CNN's "Inside Politics."

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