Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said CNN's upcoming presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump violates federal campaign law.
The Kennedy campaign on May 28 filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission alleging "flagrant violations of the Federal Election Campaign Act," in the June 27 debate.
Kennedy claims the debates are functioning as illegal campaign contributions from CNN to Biden's and Trump's campaigns. CNN, Biden's campaign, and Trump's campaign have yet to respond to the complaint.
CNN's criteria for inclusion to the debate required a candidate to appear on enough state ballots to reach the 270 electoral vote threshold as well as hitting 15% in four national polls.
"Though not impossible in Kennedy's case, it is less likely that candidates other than Biden and Trump will meet those requirements. Kennedy has received at least 15% in three qualifying polls so far and is currently on the ballot in six states, making him currently eligible for 89 Electoral College votes," CNN said last week.
Kennedy is arguing CNN is not holding the Biden and Trump campaigns to the same criteria. Since Biden and Trump are the presumptive nominees and have not officially been nominated by their parties, their names are not certified to appear on every state ballot, Kennedy argued.
Kennedy's campaign is also claiming Biden's camp has demanded he be excluded while Trump's campaign has received assurances Kennedy would not be on the stage. Without Kennedy's participation, he said CNN is willfully violating campaign finance laws.
"CNN, and every member of CNN who is participating in planning, executing, and holding this debate, is at risk of prosecution, as happened to Michael Cohen, for violating campaign finance laws," Kennedy's campaign said. "This risk is now acute given that any further violation would be knowing and willful, and thus could carry with it serious jail time."
Kennedy is asking the FEC to order CNN to cancel the debate until it complies with the Federal Election Campaign Act or dismiss his complaint, so he has an opportunity to obtain judicial review of the FEC's actions related to the complaint.
Kennedy has petitioned to appear on the ballot in 18 states, including California, Oklahoma, Michigan, North Carolina, Iowa, Nebraska, Hawaii, Utah, Idaho, New York, New Hampshire, and Nevada, according to the campaign.