The Trump campaign has filed a Federal Election Commission (FEC) complaint against The Washington Post, alleging the newspaper publication made “illegal in-kind contributions to Harris for President.”
“According to reports, the Post is using its advertising powers to promote pro-Kamala and anti-Trump coverage to voters in the final days of the election. While they declined to endorse her publicly, they have endorsed her in the dark; so much for ‘Democracy Dies in Darkness,'” the Trump campaign stated in a release.
“The mainstream media has become nothing more than pro-Kamala propaganda. The Democrat machine must be held accountable,” it added.
Breaking: Trump campaign files FEC complaint against Harris campaign and The Washington Post https://t.co/Rp6OzSrG8t
— John Solomon (@jsolomonReports) November 1, 2024
From the New York Post:
According to the six-page complaint, the Washington Post made the in-kind contributions through an alleged “coordinated communications” strategy that benefits the Harris campaign, relying on a Semafor report that showed the paper was paying to boost critical Trump content and “neutral” Harris articles.
“To wit, one of the promoted articles highlighted how the Harris digital team was pushing content on social media claiming people were leaving President Trump’s rallies early,” the complaint states.
“A month later, The Washington Post published an article, which was reportedly boosted by The Post, on the same topic, with a similar editorial framing.
“A reasonable inference is that the Harris team has communicated its messaging strategy to The Washington Post, and that that messaging strategy is reflected in what The Post chooses to promote,” it concludes.
Trump campaign files FEC complaint against Washington Post for illegal in-kind contributions https://t.co/io4HwM4CmJ pic.twitter.com/M6dimJnUQE
— New York Post (@nypost) November 1, 2024
“This is classic election interference,” Trump 2024 campaign manager Chris LaCivita said.
I smell an FEC complaint this is classic election interference Washington Post pays to boost stories critical of Trump as subscribers flee | Semafor https://t.co/UaV1yVB7Gv
— Chris LaCivita (@LaCivitaC) October 30, 2024
The Daily Wire reports:
In a letter sent Oct. 31, Trump deputy general counsel Gary Lawkowski writes that “on the eve of the 2024 general election,” the Washington Post is reportedly “conducting a dark money corporate campaign in opposition to President Donald J. Trump — pretextually using its own online advertising efforts to promote Kamala Harris’s presidential candidacy.”
“There is reason to believe that the Washington Post violated the Federal Election Campaign Act and Federal Election Commission regulations by making illegal corporate in-kind contributions,” he wrote. “Therefore, we call upon the Commission to immediately investigate expenditures by The Washington Post.”
The Washington Post has drawn backlash from its readers and writers after it announced last week that it would not endorse a presidential candidate. Owner Jeff Bezos defended the announcement, saying that “presidential endorsements do nothing to tip the scales of an election.”
The Federal Election Campaign Act makes it unlawful for corporations “to make a contribution or expenditure in connection with any election to any political office . . . or for any candidate, political committee, or other person knowingly to accept or receive any contribution,” the complaint notes.
Read the full complaint HERE.