Very interesting story in National Journal:
John McCain’s presidential campaign has finally paid off its debt to 3eDC, a private Web company linked to campaign manager Rick Davis and his longtime lobbying pal, Paul Manafort. But there’s one big curiosity: Last year, the cash-starved campaign, without explanation, reported to the Federal Election Commission that 3eDC’s bill had been reduced by $107,000. In the end, 3eDC was paid $972,000, not the $1,079,000 originally billed. “It’s always a serious question for the public and auditors when over $100,000 is removed without explanation from a financial disclosure report,” says Kent Cooper, a political money expert and former FEC official. “Indeed, this raises the question of whether actual services were provided and the bill was reduced, making it an illegal corporate contribution.”
