Republicans file complaint about Obama

The Republican National Committee has filed a complaint alleging that Democrat Barack Obama's presidential campaign has received illegal contributions from foreigners and donations that exceed federal limits.

The Republican National Committee has filed a complaint alleging that Democrat Barack Obama's presidential campaign has received illegal contributions from foreigners and donations that exceed federal limits.

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The complaint filed with the Federal Election Commission is based largely on media reports, including one from a conservative news Website that suggests donors who listed their state as "IR" may have been from Iran. In FEC reports, the designation "IR" typically stands for "information requested" because the donor did not supply it.

In the complaint, the RNC asks the commission to audit Obama's campaign fund to determine whether it has violated the law by accepting money from non-citizens and whether individual donors have exceeded contributions to the campaign.

Obama's campaign declined to comment.

Federal law prohibits contributions from foreign nationals, and individuals are limited to contributions of no more than US$ 2,300 per election. That means a person can contribute US$ 2,300 to Obama for the primary elections and US$ 2,300 for the general election.

The FEC routinely has notified both campaigns that their cumulative financial reports show many contributors have exceeded the limits.

The RNC complaint says Obama's campaign has remedied several excessive contributions but has "failed to refund or reattribute the full excessive portion in all situations." A Newsweek report says Obama had reported more than US$ 17,000 in contributions from a donor identified as "Doodad Pro" and more than US$ 11,000 from one identified as "Good Will."