Fox's 30-Minute Cain Interview Ignores Campaign Finance Scandal

Fox News continued its history of favorable treatment of Herman Cain with a nearly half-hour long interview that completely ignored questions that have reportedly been raised about the legality of early funding to Cain's presidential campaign.

On October 30, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Cain's two top campaign staffers ran a non-profit group that paid for early campaign expenses, which “might breach federal tax and campaign law.” The article further reported:

Election law experts say the transactions raise a host of questions for the private organization, which billed itself as a tax-exempt nonprofit, and the Cain team.

“If the records accurately reflect what occurred, this is way out of bounds,” said a Washington, D.C.-based election lawyer who advises many Republican candidates and conservative groups on campaign issues. The lawyer asked not to be identified because of those affiliations.

The Washington Post reported on October 31 “Such payments are forbidden under federal tax and election laws, because nonprofit charities are not allowed to donate money or services to political campaigns, according to election law experts.” On November 7, the Journal Sentinel further reported that federal investigators were under pressure from outside groups to investigate financial transactions connected to the Cain campaign.

Fox in general, and Neil Cavuto in particular, promoted Cain for months before he announced a run for president, dating back to April 2010. In September 2010, Cain himself noted that “Neil has been trying to drag” a presidential announcement “out of me for months now.” Cain has also called Cavuto “one of my closest friends.”

So it's no surprise that when Cavuto aired a pre-recorded interview of Cain on Friday which took up half of his Fox News show, Cavuto never mentioned reports that Cain's campaign may have violated federal election and tax laws.