Harris Says He Didn’t Know Campaigns Can’t Work With Independent PACS

CHARLOTTE, NC - OCTOBER 26: Republican Congressional candidate for North Carolina's 9th district Mark Harris (C), addresses the crowd as President Donald Trump (L) and Republican Congressional candidate for North Car... CHARLOTTE, NC - OCTOBER 26: Republican Congressional candidate for North Carolina's 9th district Mark Harris (C), addresses the crowd as President Donald Trump (L) and Republican Congressional candidate for North Carolina's 13th district Ted Budd (R), listen at the Bojangles Coliseum on October 26, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. President Trump visited Charlotte to campaign for 9th District House candidate Mark Harris. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images) MORE LESS
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In a head-scratching moment, Republican candidate Mark Harris said he was not aware that campaigns can’t coordinate with independent political action committees during Thursday’s hearing before the North Carolina board of elections.

Board of Elections Director Kim Strach showed Harris checks he had signed to the PAC Patriots for Progress, which he said he filled out to pay political operative McCrae Dowless and get him on his campaign.

Strach pointed out that it is illegal for an “independent expenditure PAC” to work with a campaign.

Harris said that he wasn’t aware of that. It’s unlikely that Harris would be ignorant of a fairly basic tenet of campaign finance law as a candidate for federal office.

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