Bloomberg granted extension on deadline to file financial report
Michael Bloomberg won’t have to file his public financial disclosure report until February 4, 2020, after being granted a 45-day extension by the Federal Election Commission.
Bloomberg’s campaign requested the extension last week, writing in a letter to the agency that he “requires additional time to collect information regarding complex holdings and prepare and file his report.”
The former New York City mayor, who officially announced his candidacy late last month, was originally required to submit the documents by December 21, one month after he entered the race.
Bloomberg’s campaign declined to provide additional explanation Wednesday for why it sought the extension, though it said he still plans to release his tax returns.
Financial disclosure forms, which all federal officeholders and candidates for federal office must file, detail their assets, income and debts in broad ranges.
Progressives running for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination have repeatedly criticized the influence of money in politics, and Bloomberg, who has largely amassed his wealth after building a successful financial information business, has taken heat from some of his rivals for his considerable wealth and ability to bankroll his own campaign.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, in particular, has criticized Bloomberg, saying he’s trying to “buy the nomination.”
Prior to entering the race, Bloomberg had placed at least $37 million worth of television advertising late last month, according to data from Kantar Media/CMAG. The massive buy — 60-second spots across some 100 markets — represented more than what the entire Democratic field had spent on TV advertising in the race at the time, excluding billionaire businessman Tom Steyer, who had aired nearly $63 million of TV ads by the end of Bloomberg’s initial bookings.
