ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, October 10, 1996 TAG: 9610100084
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-9 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
SOURCE: Associated Press
A political reform group accused the Clinton and Dole presidential campaigns Wednesday of trampling federal spending limits by allowing their parties to pay for millions of dollars worth of TV ads.
Both candidates and the Democratic and Republican parties contended the practice was legal.
Nevertheless, Common Cause, a nonpartisan group that lobbies for tighter restrictions on campaign spending, urged the Justice Department to appoint an independent counsel to consider charges. Attorney General Janet Reno has up to 120 days to decide whether that step is warranted.
Common Cause spokeswoman Ann McBride called the more than $48 million in party advertising for the two presidential candidates ``the most massive violations of the campaign finance laws since the Watergate scandal.''
The allegations Wednesday by Common Cause concern a legal controversy that has simmered throughout the 1996 campaign - TV ads that support a candidate but were paid for by someone else.
Dozens of complaints have been filed with the Federal Election Commission this year over TV ads paid for by the political parties or by outside groups, most notably labor union ads attacking Republican congressional candidates.
The question is when are such ads covered by the legal limits on campaign contributions and spending - and when are they outside those Watergate-era reform laws. Attorneys continue to argue over that, and no official answers are expected soon - certainly not before the Nov. 5 elections.
Common Cause's allegations, focused solely on the presidential race, were quickly rejected by party officials who said the ads were legitimate party business that is separate from the limits on presidential campaign spending.
``Educating the American people about the issues, and their impact on their lives, is an important and valid role for both political parties,'' said Mary Mead Crawford, spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee.
Joe Lockhart, a spokesman for the Clinton campaign, said the campaign's attorney had worked with the Democratic National Committee ``to be sure the ads fully complied with federal election law.''
Common Cause cited at least $34 million worth of ads aired by the Democratic Party in support of President Clinton's re-election and $14 million spent by the Republicans on ads to aid Republican challenger Bob Dole.
LENGTH: Short : 50 lines KEYWORDS: POLITICS PRESIDENTby CNB