Bloomberg News accused of improper contribution to founder's campaign

Bloomberg News, the company founded by newly announced Democratic presidential hopeful Michael Bloomberg, is being accused of making an improper campaign contribution through its policy of not investigating Bloomberg and Democratic candidates.

The Media Research Center announced it has filed a formal complaint with the Federal Election Commission arguing the policy adopted by Bloomberg News "to omit investigating Mike Bloomberg and the other Democratic presidential candidates while continuing to investigate Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump potentially is an improper contribution."

The complaint contends a commitment to protect Democratic candidates but not the GOP candidate from such investigations "appears to violate" election regulations.

Or it establishes Bloomberg News as a political committee required to register and report under FEC regulations, which it has not done, the complaint states.

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John Micklethwait, editor of Bloomberg News, announced its reporters "will not investigate the candidate or his campaign committee, but that they will continue to investigate and report on the candidate's political opponents."

The complaint noted a "contribution" is "anything of value given, loaned or advanced to influence a federal election."

"Bloomberg News's decision to refrain from investigating the candidate is a thing of value given by Bloomberg News to the candidate to influence a federal election."

The complaint seeks an investigation and appropriate action.

"Bloomberg News knowingly and willfully announced that it would be giving the candidate and the candidate's committee (as well as all candidates running for the Democratic nomination) a thing of value – continued investigations and reporting into the candidate's political opponent while refraining from investigations into the candidate or the candidate's committee while the candidate remained a candidate for office."

The circumstances, the complaint explains, requires Bloomberg News to "register and report as required of any political committee, and must abide by FECA and its regulations."

MRC said that according to FEC law, "the 'media exemption' that would normally exempt media organizations from federal campaign finance disclosure laws does not apply if 'the facility is owned or controlled by any political party, political committee, or candidate' should the organization fail to 'give reasonably equal coverage to all opposing candidates.'"

MRC President Brent Bozell said: "Bloomberg News is making a mockery of legitimate journalism. They have consciously chosen to abandon their journalistic responsibilities in favor of what is politically convenient."

He added: "This is a public declaration that Bloomberg’s newsroom is adopting media bias as an official policy. This is not only categorically unethical, but potentially illegal, which is why we are calling for an investigation."