Clark says he'll return, forgo speech fees
After controversy swirled around reports that his paid speeches could violate campaign finance laws, retired Army General Wesley K. Clark has decided to return fees he collected and will not deliver any more paid speeches during his campaign.
The Clark campaign's decision came late Wednesday night, the same day the Washington Post reported that the fees for speeches Clark has delivered since he launched his campaign last month -- to DePauw University, the University of Iowa, and Midwestern State University -- might be considered illegal contributions.
The speeches had been scheduled before Clark entered the presidential race. But campaign finance specialists said that, because he discussed his qualifications for the presidency, his fees could be considered donations in excess of legal limits.
Aides at first had insisted that the speeches were legal, since they were one of Clark's primary sources of income before he entered the race -- and were largely discussions of foreign policy, not his candidacy.
But Clark spokesman Mark Fabiani issued a statement reversing that earlier view.
He still contended the speeches were legal, "based on our review of the FEC guidelines." But he said that "to avoid any distraction from the real issues that matter to Americans," Clark would return the payments for those speeches and no longer deliver speeches for pay.
General Clark has decided to return the payments from these speeches," and would no longer deliver speeches for pay.
Material from Bloomberg News Service was included in this report.
