(COMMON DREAMS) Deirdre Fulton, April 20, 2016 — White House hopeful Bernie Sanders is raising “extremely serious concerns” about how the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign are spending the millions they’ve raised through the loophole mechanism known as a “joint fundraising committee.”

In a letter (pdf) sent Monday to Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Sanders campaign attorney Brad Deutsch details “serious apparent violations” of campaign finance laws on the part of the national party apparatus, Clinton’s campaign, and their joint fundraising committee (JFC): the Hillary Victory Fund. 

Specifically, the letter accuses the Fund of using “extremely large-dollar individual contributions” to pay for direct mail and online advertising, “both of which appear to benefit only” the Clinton campaign.

“While the use of joint fundraising agreements has existed for some time,” said Jeff Weaver, Sanders’ campaign manager, “it is unprecedented for the DNC to allow a joint committee to be exploited to the benefit of one candidate in the midst of a contested nominating contest.”

Source: Sanders Blasts Cozy Clinton-DNC Scheme for Large-Dollar Donors | Common Dreams | Breaking News & Views for the Progressive Community