Report: Ron Paul practices transparency down to the last cent

by Alicia M. Cohn - 04/04/12 12:19 PM ET

Ron Paul’s presidential campaign regularly reports expenses well below the $200 minimum to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), and in at least 160 reports so far in the campaign has reported purchases costing a dollar or less.

Paul’s diligence goes beyond the letter of the law and is unusual for a presidential campaign, according to an analysis by the nonprofit investigative news site ProPublica.

{mosads}”We take the trust our donors place in us very seriously and are deeply committed to transparency and accuracy in our reporting,” Paul’s campaign manager Jesse Benton told ProPublica.

Paul’s reports show a range of expenses, including bank fees, 22 cents at FedEx, $1.09 for office equipment at the Dollar Tree in Baton Rouge, a $1 toll on the Florida turnpike and $26.72 for catering from a Little Caesars pizza in Colorado on New Year’s Day.

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Under FEC rules, campaigns are required to disclose expenditures of more than $200, yet, according to ProPublica, few campaigns track every dollar below that line.

But Paul has campaigned on his desire for increasing government transparency, particularly in financial decisions. According to ProPublica — which found similar results when looking at Endorse Liberty, a super-PAC supporting Paul — the candidate lives out his advocacy in his campaign.