Robert F. Kennedy Jr. filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission alleging that President Joe Biden’s campaign, former President Donald Trump’s campaign, and CNN violated federal campaign laws in scheduling the network’s June 27 presidential debate. The complaint accuses CNN of colluding with the Biden and Trump campaigns in setting debate criteria, which Kennedy’s team claims amounts to prohibited corporate contributions to both campaigns. Both the Biden and Trump campaigns have yet to respond to the allegations.
Kennedy’s campaign is asking the FEC to prevent the campaigns and CNN from holding the debate until the alleged violations are addressed. Kennedy has been advocating to appear on the debate stage alongside Biden and Trump, arguing that the current scheduling unfairly excludes him from participating. Candidates must meet certain criteria, including being qualified on enough state ballots for 270 electoral votes and earning at least 15% support in qualifying polls, to participate in CNN’s debate. Kennedy has met some of these criteria but argues that the qualification process is not objective.
Kennedy has qualified for the ballot in six states, making him eligible for 89 Electoral College votes, and has earned at least 15% support in three qualifying polls. The Kennedy campaign disputes the objectivity of the qualification criteria, claiming that Biden and Trump would not be qualified on any states’ ballots because their parties’ nominating conventions will take place after the debate. Kennedy believes that CNN’s debate violates FEC law by imposing different criteria on his campaign compared to Biden and Trump.
A CNN spokesperson stated that both Biden and Trump will meet the ballot access criteria as the presumptive nominees of their parties, while Kennedy, as an independent candidate, does not. The spokesperson explained that the law in most states allows the nominee of a recognized political party to access the ballot without petitioning, which Biden and Trump will do. Kennedy, on the other hand, applied for ballot access but is not guaranteed to appear on the ballot in any state. Additionally, Kennedy currently does not meet CNN’s polling criteria, which were set before the debate invitations were issued.
Kennedy’s complaint marks the latest development in his efforts to participate in the presidential debate alongside the major party nominees. He has been vocal about his exclusion from the debate, citing what he believes is an unfair and biased qualification process. While the Biden and Trump campaigns have not responded to the allegations, Kennedy remains committed to contesting the debate criteria as he continues to seek a place on the debate stage. The dispute highlights the challenges faced by independent candidates in navigating the political landscape and gaining access to platforms typically reserved for major party nominees.
