Obama campaign site is wide open to fraud

Screenshot of Obama campaign website

The campaign website for Sen. Barack Obama leaves open a loophole that could theoretically allow a supporter to skirt campaign finance laws and contribute virtually unlimited amounts of money.

WND has confirmed that while Sen. John McCain's website has safeguards in place to prevent the practice, anyone with credit card accounts in the U.S. could work Obama's website to keep giving and giving and giving without being caught.

Federal law limits an individual to contributing a maximum of $2,300 per election to a federal candidate and bars foreign nationals from making donations of any size, but by failing to verify the actual name of online contributors, the Obama campaign website is wide open to campaign finance fraud.

WND was alerted to the loophole when a reader e-mailed it was possible to make a credit card donation on the Obama website using a fake name and address, and the donation would be successfully transacted at the bank.

"I am sad to admit, but I just made a $5 donation to Obama '08," wrote the reader. "This was done using a fake name/address with my credit card. The transaction went through with no errors, just as countless other fraudulent donations have."

The reader implied that if a contributor – foreign or domestic – wanted to, he or she could make several contributions under false names, even switching credit cards to blur the paper trail, and with enough donations made, the contributor could easily exceed the zero-dollar limit for foreign nationals and $2,300 limit for U.S. citizens.

With enough patience (or enough credit cards) a contributor could give millions.

(Story continues below)

Simple, credit card verification processes, like those used by online retailers or that used by John McCain's website, prevent fraudulent purchases. Obama's website, however, has no such safeguard.

WND confirmed that a $5 donation made under the alias of Joe Voter from Somewhere, Ohio, was accepted and processed by Obama's website. In theory, Joe Voter could have donated again under the name of Bob Voter, Maryanne Voter, or any variety of fictitious names.

Obama website's accepted donation attempt by fictitious "Joe Voter"

In the same way, a New York Times report revealed, someone named "Test Person" from Some Place, Utah, made a series of contributions last December totaling $2,410.07. Someone using the name "Good Will" made more than $7,000 in contributions in March. And total contributions from "Doodad Pro" topped $11,000 in February alone.

When Joe Voter attempted to make the same donation on McCain's website, however, a safeguard immediately recognized Voter's name didn't match the name on the credit card account and rejected the contribution.

McCain website's rejected donation attempt by fictitious "Joe Voter"

A spokesperson with the Federal Elections Commission told WND that donating under a false name is a violation of federal law and citizens are welcome to file complaints with the FEC when fraud is encountered.

The Times reported that the Republican National Committee filed a complaint last month and that the FEC had alerted the Obama campaign to Good Will and Doodad Pro, who combined have made more than 1,000 contributions.

Officials with the campaign told the Times contributions to Good Will and Doodad Pro have been fully refunded.

WND called the Obama campaign for clarification on what safeguards might prevent Joe Voter and others like Doodad Pro from contributing repeatedly under false names, but a phone message left with the communications office was not returned.

Ben LaBolt, a spokesman for the Obama campaign, however, told the Times it was difficult to wade through the more than 2.5 million donations made in support of Obama.

"We have been aggressive about taking every available step," LaBolt said, "to make sure our contributions are appropriate, updating our systems when necessary."

The systems, however, aren't keeping up. An analysis of campaign finance records by the Times in early October found nearly 3,000 apparently fraudulent donations, including $370 in a series of $10 donations made by a contributor who used the name "Jgtj Jfggjjfgj" and listed an address of "thjtrj" in "gjtjtjtjtjtjr, AP."

 

---

---

Related offers:

Get "The Audacity of Deceit," and learn about the looming hostile attack on Judeo-Christian values and freedoms Americans hold dear

Get Jerome Corsi's "The Obama Nation," autographed by the author, exclusively from WND's online store.

"NObama" magnetic bumper sticker

Whistleblower magazine's "THE SECRET LIFE OF BARACK OBAMA"

Get the book that launched the "None of the Above" political movement – personally signed by the author. It comes with a free "None of the Above" magnetized bumper sticker.

Help spread the word about the "None of the Above" campaign with extra copies of the magnetized bumper sticker.

Proudly display the hottest campaign button in the nation – "None of the Above." Buy them in bulk at phenomenal prices.

 

---

Previous stories:

ACORN 'shock troops' tied to election crimes

:Will black voters be powder keg?

Obama lies in debate about ties to ACORN

November results 'already tainted' by ACORN

November results 'already tainted' by ACORN

Obama website lies about ACORN ties

Obama worked closely with terrorist Bill Ayers

Obama cited Ayers job as qualification to run

Meet Obama's new Bill Ayers associate

Obama minimizes relationship with Ayers

Obama accuses McCain of linking him to 'radical'

Obama disguising ties to radical leftist group?