In regard to openness and transparency, would be presidential candidate Fred Thompson says he supports more disclosure. But the actions of his nascent campaign have raised serious red flags.

Fred Thompson is finally going to make his race official this Thursday, September 6. Why on that day? Does the that date have some special historical or sentimental significance? Is he avoiding appearing in the Sept. 5 GOP debate in New Hampshire as charged by the state’s GOP chair?

It is most likely that Thompson’s choice of dates, Sept. 6, allows him to exploit the quirky reporting dates of federal election law so that he can raise money without reporting it until after the key January primaries are finished. If he wins those early primaries, and become the likely nominee, we will not know who financed his campaign, as Jake Tapper has reported.

It’s obvious that Thompson is shamelessly exploiting the "testing the waters" provision in federal election law. This provision allows him to delay initial campaign filings if the individual is trying to decide to run. In this situation, a potential candidate on the fence as whether to run can raise and spend a little money to determine if your candidacy would be viable. This ability to raise undisclosed cash ends when it’s clear that the individual has decided to throw her or his hat in the race . We all know he’s running, right? Thompson himself admitted to Sean Hannity that he’d made up his mind, but wasn’t telling yet. Nudge, nudge. Wink, wink. Liberal blogger Lane Hudson has filed a complaint with the FEC over Thompson’s actions.

Interesting take on disclosure, this one.