"Taxpayers Pay for FEC Convention Trips"

[GreenPartyVoter]

Bill Allison, a spokesman for the Center for Public Integrity, a government watchdog group, said it's better for commissioners to cover their convention costs using taxpayer money than it would be if they went at the expense of the political parties or others they regulate, but he questioned why they were going to the party gatherings at all.

"I think it shows how cozy a system we have with the FEC," Allison said. "The big problem with the FEC is it's not independent. It does have this connection to the parties. You're asking people from the parties to run a commission whose job is to be tough on the parties and their candidates, and that's inherently problematic."

http://apnews1.iwon.com/article/20040804/D848G8282.html