Nader Got GOP Help, Group Charges

WASHINGTON —  A watchdog group said Tuesday it would file a federal complaint accusing two conservative organizations of illegally helping Ralph Nader’s presidential campaign, possibly with support from President Bush’s reelection campaign.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington planned to file its complaint today with the Federal Election Commission. The group said the Oregon Family Council and Citizens for a Sound Economy violated election laws last week by telephoning people and urging them to help Nader get on Oregon’s ballot in November.

Spokesmen for both groups denied wrongdoing.

Both groups acknowledge trying to influence Nader’s petition drive Saturday in Oregon in hopes that getting him on the ballot would take votes away from Democrat John F. Kerry and help Bush win the battleground state.

Melanie Sloan, the watchdog group’s executive director, said Tuesday that the conservative organizations were corporations prohibited by election law from making campaign donations.

Sloan said she would name the Nader and Bush campaigns in her complaint because of reports that some Bush-Cheney volunteers had made similar calls from Bush campaign offices.

“If Bush-Cheney was soliciting those corporations to assist the Nader campaign, then that’s a violation,” she said.

Mike White, executive director of the Oregon Family Council, said there was no coordination with Bush’s campaign.

“I had my volunteers call and encourage them to go to the (Nader) convention, but I don’t think that’s federal election activity,” he said.

Chris Kinnan, spokesman for Citizens for a Sound Economy, said an outside lawyer assured him the phone calls were proper.