£500m election fund 'bought Obama victory'

Barack Obama is likely to face calls that he "bought" his election victory after the final sums for his astonishing fund raising campaign are revealed.

Figures being presented to the Federal Election Commission are likely to show he raised £500 million ($750 million). The massive amount not only allowed Mr Obama to outspend John McCain, who raised £333 million ($480 million), in TV advertisements but changed the face of US politics.

The president-elect was the first candidate in more than 30 years not to use public financing for an election campaign.

George Bush's former deputy chief of staff, Karl Rove, said:"If money talks, we'll likely soon hear the real reason why Barack Obama beat John McCain.

"Rather than showing the success of a new style of post-partisan politics, Mr Obama's victory may show the enduring truth of the old Chicago Golden Rule: he who has the gold rules."

Mr Obama free to raise funds and spend as he liked, laid out £157 million on TV adverts during the election campaign.