An in-kind gift she received from an ex-TV executive, who advised the January 6 Committee, may have caused Liz Cheney, a soon-to-be former Rep. Liz Cheney to violate Federal Election Commission rules during her concession speech.
CNN’s Jeff Zeleny reported Tuesday night that Cheney would deliver his anticipated losing speech against a dramatic background. James Goldston, an ex-president of ABC News who advises the January 6 Committee, filmed the scene.
The Cheney speech will tonight be given in Jackson. As Cheney’s friend, James Goldston (a veteran TV producer) and a crew of film makers are here in Wyoming. From our CNN blog: https://t.co/hmtIbHI9Cm
— Jeff Zeleny (@jeffzeleny) August 17, 2022
A film crew may shoot a candidate, provided they are protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. If the filmmakers are making a video for the candidate specifically, it counts as service to the campaign.
Goldston’s services including his crew are likely worth thousands of dollars. Zeleny also reported that Goldston was filming Cheney for a friend — thus his in-kind contribution.
The FEC rules on in-kind contributions provide:
An in-kind contribution is a non-monetary contribution. In-kind contributions are made by providing goods or services at a reduced cost than usual. In-kind contributions are also made when an individual or entity makes a payment for the services of the committee. Any expenditure that is made in concert, consultation, or concert with a candidate or on his/her request/suggestions, is considered to be an in-kind donation.
An in-kind donation, which is the usual and regular charge of a contribution, counts against the maximum contribution as does a gift. In-kind contributions, except where otherwise noted, count as a contribution against the limit of the next election.
Moreover, the current limit on contributions is $2,900 per cycle.
Therefore, Goldston’s activities would have to be reported by the FEC to Cheney’s campaign files. They also most likely exceeded the campaign finance limit. If she’s found guilty, Goldston could be subject to an FEC investigation and possible fines.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. PST). He is the author of the recent e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. His recent book, RED NOVEMBER, tells the story of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary from a conservative perspective. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
