By Sam Wroblewski 630wpro.com

A campaign finance watchdog group says Lincoln Chafee’s recent statements on running for president make him a candidate under federal law, giving him fifteen days to file paperwork.

Paul Ryan, the Senior Legal Counsel at the Campaign Legal Center in Washington D.C. tweeted out Thursday that the former Rhode Island Governor is “100% a ‘candidate’” after saying he’s running during an appearance on CNN and in an interview with the Huffington Post.

“It makes him a candidate under federal campaign finance law, it triggers the 15 day time clock for him to show up at the FEC and file what’s called a statement of candidacy, and the real impact of that is that it starts the clock on when he has to start disclosing where he’s raising his money and how he is spending his funds,” said Ryan in an interview with WPRO’s Kim Kalunian.

Ryan says that if Chafee knows what is good for him and his campaign he will file the paperwork or else his group will take action.

“We’ll file a complaint similar to those we filed against Democrat Martin O’Malley, and Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, and Rick Santorum on the last day of March.”

According to Ryan, such complaints are a regular part of his nonpartisan group’s work to keep candidates in compliance with campaign finance laws. Ryan did acknowledge Chafee has done something yet since declaring his interest in higher office.

“Mr. Chafee should be commended for at least raising money under the $2,700 candidate limit, but now he has to take the next step.”