Heading into the 2024 presidential race, some joker thought it’d be hilarious to file for an official presidential campaign under the name of Bryan Cranston’s iconic Breaking Bad character Walter White. Seems like a harmless gag, right? Not so much. The Federal Election Commission is reportedly looking to prosecute the funny guy who also listed Bob Odenkirk’s Saul Goodman as his running mate. Was the address listed in the filing for Albuquerque, New Mexico? Of course.
At issue is the fact that including fraudulent information in a presidential campaign filing is a crime. The FEC is reportedly demanding more information about the Walter White filing and alerted the individual that it could still pursue charges even if the Breaking Bad themed campaign is withdrawn. Via Raw Story:
“The Commission requires the filing to be true, correct, and complete. When you filed FEC Form 2, you made the following certification: ‘I certify that I have examined this Statement and to the best of my knowledge and belief it is true, correct and complete.’ The Commission also informed you on that form that: ‘Submission of false, erroneous, or incomplete information may subject the person signing this Statement to the penalties of 52 U.S.C. § 30109.'”
According to Raw Story, the FEC is reportedly cracking down on fraudulent forms after someone already tried to file a fake presidential campaign for former Vice President Mike Pence, which is obviously a much more serious issue than a humorous attempt to get a White/Goodman ticket on the 2024 ballot.
(Via Raw Story)