While calls to replace President Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee continue to plague his re-election efforts, campaign finance experts believe financial roadblocks could prevent another Democrat from stepping into the role.
The Biden-Harris campaign brought in a huge cash haul this cycle, reporting $127 million raised in June alone – but if Biden were to be replaced or step down as the nominee, there are serious questions surrounding whether any other candidate would be able to inherit these funds.
While there are several candidates being floated as Biden replacements, a political fundraiser with knowledge of presidential campaign finance told Fox News Digital that as of right now, the money “is only accessible if your name is Joe Biden or Kamala Harris.”
Election law experts told Fox News Digital that Vice President Kamala Harris could likely use the campaign funds given that her name is on the Biden-Harris ticket. However, even the vice president could face hurdles stepping into the money.
President Biden speaks during last week’s presidential debate in Atlanta, Georgia. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
According to Trey Trainor, a commissioner at the Federal Election Committee (FEC), whether the funds could be transferred to Harris is an “open-ended question.”
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In the case Biden is replaced as the nominee, legal experts tell Fox that the Biden-Harris campaign would be allowed to transfer the funds to the Democratic National Committee (DNC), but the campaign arm is limited in how they can distribute them.
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a “First In The Nation” campaign rally at South Carolina State University on Feb. 2, 2024 in Orangeburg, S.C. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Trainor, speaking on the Josh Hammer Show Wednesday, said that given the financial roadblocks, he believes Democrats “have no choice but to continue forward with President Biden as their nominee, because there are just too many hurdles.”
Democratic Govs. Gavin Newsom of California and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg have been floated as potential Biden replacements, but the experts do not believe other candidates would be able to easily obtain the funds.
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While members within his own party are calling on Biden to step down, campaign finance experts – who described the situation as novel – concluded that they believe Biden will likely remain the Democrat nominee, even if the final decision comes down to campaign cash.
