Posted on 08/20/2004 3:01:11 PM PDT by Faeroe
Kerry takes legal action against Vietnam critics
FORT MYERS, United States (AFP) - Democratic White House hopeful John Kerry (news - web sites)'s campaign formally alleged that a group attacking his Vietnam war record had illegal ties to US President George W. Bush (news - web sites)'s reelection bid.
AFP Photo
In a statement released to reporters, Kerry's campaign announced it had "filed a legal complaint against Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (SBVT) before the Federal Election Commission (news - web sites) (FEC) for violating the law with inaccurate ads that are illegally coordinated with the Bush-Cheney presidential campaign."
The move by the Kerry campaign came shortly after the Swift Boat group released a second ad attacking the Democratic presidential candidate, who was wounded three times while serving on a Swift Boat in Vietnam and decorated twice for valor.
Swift Boat Veterans for Truth have accused Kerry of lying about one of the wounds he suffered and of embellishing his acts of heroism during his four months in Vietnam, charges strongly rejected by the senator from Massachusetts.
Kerry on Thursday accused the Bush administration of using the Swift Boat veterans as a front group to do the "dirty work" of attacking his Vietnam War record.
The New York Times on Friday reported that there is a "web of connections" between the Swift Boat group and the "Bush family, high-profile Texas political figures and President Bush (news - web sites)'s chief political aide, Karl Rove."
Sweeeeeeeeeet headline.
How's that complaint about the ties between MOVEOn.org and the kerry camp going, I wonder?
BUMP!!
well isnt this the pot calling the kettle black.
BUMP FOR TRUTH..Kerry is afraid of it!
Illegal ties to the president? Because two of the donors are friends of the president and Karl Rove? hahahaha
This is like a gallon of gasoline thrown on a bon fire (US Navy regulation, fire, bon-type, of course).
its about time some pentagon employee gets ahold of all of kerry's records and anonymously dumps them on the media...
the dems are looking like a chicken with its head cut of still running around..
The Worst thing Kerry could do
This is the beginning of the end for Kerry. Here he is trying to silence dissenters using the strong arm of the government, an act of censorship that the American people will recoil from; and with the accusations of collusion between President Bush and the Swift Boat Vets, he opens himself up for counter-allegations involving 527s such as MoveOn. All Kerry has succeeded in doing is give the Swift Boat Vets more air time than they ever could hope to purchase themselves, and has reacted in the worst possible way imaginable.
Noticeably absent from the Waah Waah to the FEC is a civil liable suit They are not disputing the FACTS,
just everything but.
See, here's their problem. They're so used to the idea of all criticism being the work of a shadowy right-wing conspiracy, they have NO IDEA how loopy this is going to look to Joe Swingvoter.
That's what we want, a president who sics lawyers on people exercising their freedom of speach.
Funny, no sight of the "non-partisan" ACLU challenging this attempt to silence critics of a government official.
Accordint to FEC Complaint procedures below..."anyone" can file a complaint...who has a copy of their complaint??? I think it can be applied to mooore......
Introduction
The Commission frequently receives questions on how to file a complaint concerning possible violations of federal election campaign laws.1 This brochure explains how to file a complaint with the Commission and describes how complaints are processed.2
I. Filing a Complaint
Any person may file a complaint if he or she believes a violation of the Federal Election Campaign Laws or Commission regulations has occurred or is about to occur. The complaint must be made in writing, and sent to the Office of General Counsel, Federal Election Commission, 999 E Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20463. The original must be submitted along with three copies, if possible. Facsimile transmissions are not acceptable.
A complaint must comply with certain requirements. It must:
* Provide the full name and address of the person filing the complaint (called the complainant); and
* Be signed, sworn to and notarized. This means that the notary public's certificate must say "...signed and sworn to before me..."
Furthermore, in order for a complaint to be considered complete and proper, it should:
* Clearly recite the facts that show specific violations under the Commission's jurisdiction (citations to the law and regulations are not necessary);
* Clearly identify each person, committee or group that is alleged to have committed a violation (called the respondent);
* Include any documentation supporting the allegations, if available; and
* Differentiate between statements based on the complainant's (the person who files the complaint) personal knowledge and those based on information and belief. Statements not based on personal knowledge should identify the source of the information.
If this is what Kerry's people call damage control they must be amateurs.
By blowing the situation up it forces the media to cover what has become a negative aspect of the Kerry campaign. That's something the media would rather not do.
Meanwhile Bush stays on the sidelines and looks more and more presidential.
Now all of the testimony and documents you tried to surpress (including your medical and service records and perhaps your divorce and possibly other documents) may well be made available via subpoena -- just in time for the closing days of your campaign.
And you, as a public figure will look more like a crackpot and crybaby than you already do. Thanks, Dumbass......
This is a PR move. The Kerry campaign won't go after the Swifties in a legal forum where the Swifties can depose people under oath.
This is beautiful.
The FCC will have to investigate whether the ads are, as alleged, untrue. Think the FCC will look the SBVs in the eye and say they are lying?
This is going to blow back SOOOOOO hard!
Band of lawyers !
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