Edwards ended his run for the White House in January 2008, nearly three-and-a-half years ago, but he has continued spending an average of $60,000 a month. That's federal matching money, public money and money from contributors.
Now, the FEC is recommending the Edwards campaign repay the money to the federal government.
The audit issued the following findings:
- Matching funds received in excess of entitlement
- Misstatement of financial activity
- Failure to itemize loan repayments
- Stale-dated checks
The ABC11 Eyewitness News I-Team has been digging into the Edwards campaign for months and discovered that according to federal campaign finance laws, Edwards can use what's left in his campaign fund for a variety of things, including paying his legal defense. He was recently indicted on felony campaign finance charges.
Kitty Stockton, a Chapel Hill realtor, is asking for a $500 refund for the donation she made to the Edwards campaign.
On Thursday, the FEC will hold a meeting in Washington to decide if Edwards should repay the money. The campaign has $2.6 million dollars in its account.
Edwards's lawyers are challenging the findings, saying they incurred "unanticipated expenses" related to the Justice Department's investigation.
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