Joe Biden's re-election campaign has a massive bank account that could benefit an alternative candidate if he dropped his White House bid, but campaign finance rules limit how that cash could be spent. The 81-year-old Democrat is facing pressure to fold his campaign after a disastrous debate against Republican challenger Donald Trump raised questions about his acuity and ability to serve another four-year term if re-elected.
HOW MUCH MONEY DOES BIDEN HAVE?
Biden's campaign reported to the Federal Election Commission last month that it had $91 million in the bank at the end of May, a significant sum though less than the $116 million the Trump campaign told the FEC it had in the bank. Both campaigns are due on Saturday to disclose updated financial figures through June.
COULD A DIFFERENT DEMOCRAT TAKE CONTROL OF THAT MONEY? Experts on campaign finance law disagree on how readily the money could change hands. Saurav Ghosh, a lawyer at the Campaign Legal Center, a non-partisan watchdog group, said there are two scenarios in which control of Biden's money could be seamlessly transferred to a new candidate: If that candidate were Vice President Kamala Harris, or if Harris became the running mate of a new candidate. As Biden's current running mate, Harris' name appears alongside Biden's on the campaign's registration documents.
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«If Harris remains on the ticket, as either the presidential or vice presidential candidate, the new ticket