FEC Drafts Opinions for Guyana-Born Man About Presidential Run

FEC Drafts Opinions for Guyana-Born Man About Presidential Run:

The Federal Election Commission is showing signs that it might allow a Guyana-born American citizen to file papers and raise money to run for president of the United States.

The agency released two draft advisory opinions Friday that could permit New York lawyer Abdul Hassan to go through the initial steps to run for president. But the FEC’s pending decision won’t be the last word on the constitutional issue of whether someone born outside the United States can be president.

Hassan was born in the South American country in 1974, and he asked the FEC in July whether he could raise funds as a candidate for president.

The request put the FEC in the rare role of deciding a large constitutional issue that has only a few intersections with campaign finance law. The two commonly held constitutional requirements to run for president are that the candidate be 35 years or older and be a “natural born citizen.”

(Excerpt) Read more at rollcall.com ...