Robert F. Kennedy Jr. failed to qualify for the June 27 CNN presidential debate, missing the polling and ballot access thresholds, and his campaign has filed an FEC complaint alleging illegal bias in CNN's criteria.

Kennedy's campaign claims that CNN's debate requirements were unfairly stringent and unfairly skewed to benefit President Biden and Donald Trump. While Kennedy did not meet CNN’s requirements of 15% support in four national polls or sufficient ballot access, his campaign has pushed back by filing a complaint with the Federal Election Commission in late May, alleging that these criteria amounted to an illegal campaign contribution. This sets up a contentious battle over debate inclusion ahead of the September debate hosted by ABC News, where Kennedy hopes to clear the necessary thresholds.

Kennedy did not manage to reach the necessary polling threshold set by CNN for the debate. According to CNN’s rules, candidates needed to achieve at least 15% support in a minimum of four national polls. Kennedy met this benchmark in only three national polls, falling just short of the required number.

In addition to the polling criteria, candidates were also required to have sufficient ballot access—namely, being on enough state ballots to be able to win 270 electoral votes. Kennedy's campaign failed to meet this criterion, further disqualifying him from participating in the debate.

A spokesperson from CNN confirmed that Kennedy did not qualify for the debate due to these shortcomings. This official acknowledgment from the network puts an end to speculation regarding his potential inclusion in the event.

In response, Kennedy's campaign has taken legal action by filing a complaint with the Federal Election Commission. The complaint, submitted in late May, alleges that CNN's debate criteria were unlawful and constituted a campaign contribution to both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. The campaign argues that the rules set by CNN were designed to exclude Kennedy and ensure an advantageous platform for the two established candidates.

Kennedy’s campaign further contends that CNN applied different standards to him compared to Biden and Trump. According to Kennedy’s team, this disparity in criteria was unfair and potentially biased against his candidacy.

Adding to the accusations, Kennedy has claimed that there was collusion between CNN and the campaigns of Biden and Trump. Kennedy's campaign has even filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), alleging that CNN's debate setup was illegal and amounted to a campaign contribution to Biden and Trump. These accusations, if substantiated, could have significant ramifications for the integrity of the debate process.

Despite his exclusion from the June 27 debate, there remains an opportunity for Kennedy to participate in future debates. Specifically, he aims to qualify for the September debate, which will be hosted by ABC News. In order to participate, Kennedy will need to meet whatever criteria ABC News sets forth for the event.

This upcoming debate presents another opportunity for Kennedy to showcase his platform and potentially gain the national visibility that candidates seek through these high-profile events. Until then, the dispute over the fairness of CNN’s debate criteria and the FEC complaint will likely continue to be a point of contention among the involved parties.