Phillips accuses DNC of 'bleeding campaigns dry' with lawsuits

Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), who is running a long-shot challenge to President Biden, accused the Democratic National Commitee (DNC) of “bleeding campaigns dry” by handing out lawsuits against non-incumbent candidates.

Reacting to a new lawsuit filed against independent candidate Robert F Kennedy, Jr., which accuses his campaign and aligned super PAC of illegal coordination, Phillips argued the committee was just trying to blunt the process of candidates, other than Biden, getting on the Democratic primary ballot.

"The Democratic National Committee actively obstructs Democrats and Independents from ballot access — bleeding campaigns dry with lawsuits and absurd 'signature requirements,'" Phillips said Friday in a statement on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. 

"I’ve had to spend ~$2m to successfully overcome their barriers in 40+ states so far," he continued. "Democrats should win by appealing to our country, not suppressing our competition."

Phillips’ rebuke of the committee follows the lawsuit filed by the DNC on Friday, which alleges the Kennedy-supporting super PAC, American Values 2024, violated federal election rules by assisting the campaign's efforts to gain ballot access in battleground states through hiring signature-gathering vendors.

It also came after the DNC launched billboards in Michigan — where Kennedy is currently campaigning — scrutinizing his run and attacking him for accepting a donation from a mega-donor that has also donated to former President Trump in the past.

The Minnesota congressman has had his fair-share of hiccups during his Oval Office run. In December, he pledged to file lawsuits with the DNC and several other states — such as Tennessee, North Carolina and Florida — after being excluded from the ballots.

Despite calling Biden a "decent man," Saturday, Phillips has pushed for Biden to exit the 2024 races, pointing to his approval rating dip and polls in battleground states that show he is trailing Trump, the likely GOP nominee.

Phillips has struggled to break through in the process, so far, finishing second in the New Hampshire primary to Biden, who was not on the ballot and was written in by his supporters. He finished third in the South Carolina primary, behind Biden and author Marianne Williamson — who dropped out of the race on Wednesday.