Democrat Super PAC American Bridge filed a lawsuit against the Federal Election Commission, stating the agency wasn’t holding former President Donald Trump accountable for teasing a possible Presidential bid in 2024.
The lawsuit comes four months after American Bridge lodged a complaint with the FEC, requesting that Trump’s remarks that he had already decided whether he’d run in 2024 be investigated.
The March complaint surfaced despite Trump not explicitly announcing his candidacy, with the escalation to lawsuit coming on Wednesday because of the FEC’s inaction.
In its filing, American Bridge argues that the FEC’s lack of action has given Trump a fundraising advantage over other potential candidates.
In a statement, Jessica Floyd, president of America Bridge 21st Century, contended, “Donald Trump started his 2024 presidential campaign the same way he ended his 2020 campaign – illegally. We intend to hold him accountable.”
Floyd continued, “There’s no end to his grift. American Bridge is filing suit to prevent him from continuing to flout the law with his current, active presidential campaign.”
In its suit, American Bridge states that Trump should be held to the same standards as a candidate who has formally declared running for federal office, which would require he makes fundraising disclosures and dictates how much money he can raise from individuals ahead of the primaries.
To substantiate its claim Trump has been subtly campaigning, American Bridge points to statements Trump’s made where he suggested he would run again in 2024 but failed to expressly declare his campaign.
“We did it twice and we’ll do it again… We’re going to be doing it again a third time,” was a Trump quote the Democratic PAC used in its March complaint.
But recently, Trump has made his intentions even clearer, telling the New York magazine he had “already made that decision, so nothing factors in anymore,” revealing that it was only a matter of whether he announces his campaign before or after the midterms.
