The Federal Election Commission, at its April 26 meeting, had been scheduled to decide whether to lift the contribution limit when a candidate suffers a loss of campaign funds due to embezzlement. The request had been made by U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, who is running for re-election this year. The FEC had also been set to decide this issue at its April 12 meeting, but had postponed the decision until April 26.

At the April 26 meeting, the FEC postponed the decision again, and now it is scheduled for the May 10 meeting. It is alleged, and widely believed, that Feinstein’s campaign treasurer embezzled $4,500,000 from the Feinstein campaign treasury, which had previously contained $7,000,000. The treasurer has enterd a guilty plea.