A new report released Monday has raised serious questions as to whether the Obama campaign has solicited and accepted illegal donations from foreigners. The Washington Free Beacon reported this morning:
The report, authored by the Government Accountability Institute (GAI), suggested that small donations such as these, which can be collected without scrutiny from the FEC, compounded by the Obama campaign’s unwillingness to adequately secure its online payment page, create "significant vulnerabilities for the integrity of the campaign’s donation process."
In some cases, the Obama campaign was found to have sent solicitation emails to foreign citizens, some of whom admitted having donated money—raising questions as to whether the campaign was knowingly violating the law.
President Obama has condemned such political contributions in the past, specifically criticizing the Citizens United ruling in his 2010 State of the Union address on the point:
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: With all due deference to separation of powers, last week the Supreme Court reversed a century of law that I believe will open the floodgates for special interests –- including foreign corporations –- to spend without limit in our elections. I don't think American elections should be bankrolled by America's most powerful interests, or worse, by foreign entities. They should be decided by the American people. And I'd urge Democrats and Republicans to pass a bill that helps to correct some of these problems.