The Libertarian candidate for Texas’ U.S. Senate seat has filed a complaint with the Federal Elections Commission against the main committee pushing for Beto O’Rourke’s election in November.
This week, Libertarian Neal Dikeman’s campaign filed a complaint with the FEC against Beto for Texas and the television network CNN. The complaint alleges that because Senator Ted Cruz declined to participate in a CNN town hall this week with O’Rourke, and because Dikeman, the third and final candidate in the race, was not invited, CNN’s decision to continue forward with a televised forum featuring only O’Rourke, a Democrat, becomes an in-kind donation by CNN to the O’Rourke campaign. A contribution in this way, because it is from a corporation, would be in violation of FEC rules.
Dikeman says this televised event, if ruled an in-kind donation, could be valued in excess of $10 million. Dikeman’s campaign says the complaint is for the single largest in American history and if the FEC finds the donation violated campaign finance rules, Beto for Texas could be liable to repay the value of the contribution to CNN.
Both Dikeman and O’Rourke are seeking election to the U.S. Senate in November. Ted Cruz, the Republican incumbent, is running for re-election.
