Watchdog asks Justice Department to investigate Obama and Romney super-PACs

The watchdog group Democracy 21 has asked the Justice Department to investigate whether super-PACs supporting President Obama and Mitt Romney have violated campaign finance laws.

Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer said the recent announcements that Obama officials and Romney aides would be appearing at events with the political action committees constitutes "illegal activities." 

Under the law, super-PACS are not allowed to coordinate with candidates, their committees "or any agent of the candidate or his campaign." 

“The activities of the Obama and Romney Super PACs and the presidential campaigns they support have escalated beyond the boundaries of the campaign finance laws. The Obama and Romney campaigns are making a mockery of the campaign finance laws enacted to prevent corruption,” Wertheimer said in a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder. 

The president last week endorsed the Priorities USA Action super-PAC that supports him. His campaign stated that Cabinet members, White House staff and campaign officials will “speak at, and participate in, fundraising events for Priorities USA Action,” the letter states.

Romney’s campaign endorsed the super-PAC Restore Our Future days later, “announc[ing] that its senior campaign aides would similarly appear and speak at fundraising events,” according to Wertheimer's letter.

“In light of recent developments, the idea that the Obama and Romney presidential campaigns and the Super PACs supporting them are operating independently from each other is absurd and has no public credibility,” Wertheimer wrote to Holder.