by James Oliphant
In a letter to a campaign finance watchdog group, the Justice Department says it plans to make cracking down on so-called 527 groups a priority this election cycle.
The department was responding to an inquiry from Democracy 21, a bipartisan nonprofit that presses for aggressive enforcement of campaign finance laws.
Democracy 21 president Fred Wertheimer wrote to the department in May, noting that after the 2004 presidential election, the Federal Election Commission took civil enforcement actions against a number of 527 groups for illegally spending soft money to influence that election. The FEC found that four 527 groups alone had made massive illegal soft money expenditures totaling more than $200 million to influence the 2004 presidential campaign.
Internal Revenue Service regulations forbid advocacy groups formed under the statute that gives the 527s their name from directly contributing to the election of one candidate or another.
Perhaps the most famous 527 from that race was Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, an organization that was formed to attack Democratic nominee John kerry's Vietnam War record.
Democracy 21 and the Kerry campaign brought FEC complaints against the group, alleging that it illegally coordinated its activities with the George W. Bush reelection campaign. The FEC did not however find that such conduct occurred.
It did, however, fine the group some $300,000 for failing to register as a "political committee."
In response to Wertheimer's letter, Justice Department official John C. Keeney wrote:
The investigation and prosecution of knowing and willful violations of the Federal Election Campaign Act are priorities of this Department. Please be assured that we intend to vigorously pursue instances where individuals or organizations knowingly and intentionally violate the clear commands of this important statute.Should you or your organization come into possession of information indicating that such intentional violations of established and known statutory duties and prohibitions have occurred, you should bring that information to the attention of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
In a atatement, Wertheimer said his organization would do just that.
We are closely monitoring the activities of 527 groups in the 2008 campaign. We intend to provide the FBI, the Justice Department and the Federal Election Commission with any appropriate information we find that shows 527 groups, and the individuals who organize, manage and lead those groups, are engaged in knowing and willful efforts to illegally use soft money to influence federal elections.
Wertheimer, a long time election law gadfly, was most recently critical of Barack Obama's decision to rely solely on private campaign contributions for his presidential campaign instead of taking advantage of the FEC public financing system, which limits expenditures.
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Comments
Let's see now. The Republicans are facing a setback of monumental proportions and now the DOJ says it will take a look at the 527;s. After what this administration has done to the DOJ after the last 7 years can anybody not believe this is another Republican ploy?
Posted by: Todd M | July 2, 2008 1:01 PM
Can the Department of Justice be more obvious, at election time? Why haven't they looked into why the FDA is incapable, or incompetent, in finding out, from where the salmonella-tainted tomatoes are coming!! I hope they aren't coming from donors to the Republican Party!!? Two more dysfunctional governmental agencies we have just heard from, under the Bush/Cheney administrations !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, Chicago | July 2, 2008 1:06 PM
"A successful candidate will:
• Possess a strong interest in news and be well-informed about current events
• Be detail oriented and pay close attention to spelling, grammar, syntax"
I still say The Swamp needs one of these.
Posted by: MJ | July 2, 2008 1:10 PM
Can somebody crack down on Google for flagging two of my blogs and letting them twist in the wind until they just close them?
http://www.CAUCUSCHEATING.com
http://www.FLORIDA-MICHIGAN.com
Posted by: Alessandro Machi | July 2, 2008 1:20 PM
It should be perfectly legal to present factual information derived from verifiable sources about any candidate for office. These groups usually are committed to digging up dirt and distorting information, rather than presenting objective truth. If the election commission were not so politically oriented it might do a better job of policing the 527's.
Posted by: GW | July 2, 2008 1:21 PM
Notably but not unexpected, this article fails to mention that the most highly financed 527 group in 2004 was MoveOn.org. Of course, it's an extreme left organization and not a conservative operation so, of course, Mr. Oliphant can't mention that. Nor talk about its continuous slanders of President Bush. Moveon.org no longer is a 527 because it has outed itself as a pro-Obama supporter. What a surprise.
Posted by: Jefferson | July 2, 2008 1:39 PM
As one of our troops in Iraq I don't want to come home until we exterminate all terrorists. I am not a coward and I don't appreciate losers like leftist democrats claiming to speak for ME!!!
This attempt by DOJ to regulate free speech is anti-freedom but hey then again this law was supported by DEMOCRATS (Socalists)
Posted by: b metz | July 2, 2008 1:42 PM
Socialist--you mean, like the fire department, and the police department and other services that everybody gets without charge?
Socialist--like the subsidized trains and trollies we used to have, as opposed to just building roads and airports that help the failing car and airplane companies?
McSame vetoed the g.i. bill--one that was like the gi bill the ww2 vets received which EDUCATED them after the war.
Posted by: Got Education? | July 2, 2008 2:13 PM
2004: GOP-linked 527s run riot, spend millions in under-the-table contributions to blast John Kerry's war record. Justice Department looks the other way.
2008: GOP-linked 527s on the ropes, largely inactive. Justice Department announces that busting 527s is now a priority.
Yep. That's my Bush's DOJ.
(Although to be honest, it sounds like the same BS boilerplate the DOJ puts out whenever anyone asks them about ANY of their enforcement efforts.)
Posted by: Peter Principle | July 2, 2008 2:43 PM
As a veteran, I suggest " b metz " better get to a civics class and find out what it means to be a citizen in a democracy. For one thing, it doesn't mean, " My country, right or wrong !!", nor does it mean we shove " democracy " down another nation's throat and than devastate that country and the Iraqi people. The Democrats are the only major force, standing between our democracy and a Corporate State!! Open your eyes and ears, " b metz ", you live in a democracy, or one that is trying hard to maintain its democratic principles, in spite of some, in the Republican Party and their agenda !!!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, Chicago | July 2, 2008 3:00 PM
"Got education" needs to get an education about capitalism versus socialism. Police and fire agencies are not socialist because they are services paid for by the taxes generated by private companies and individuals. In pure socialism, all entities are operated by the government. And socialism really works well. Look how great it was in the Soviet Union. The concern, of course, is that Obama will turn the U.S. into the USS...the United Socialist States.
Posted by: Serena | July 2, 2008 4:46 PM
What is " pure socialism "?? Is that any thing like pure greed, which our great capitalistic Corps are engaged in on a scale, known as, globalization. They sure are some clever dickens, aren't they?!! The Corps ripping off the world in the name of democracy and capitalism, and we are supposed to be afraid of Socialism!! Come on, you can do better than that, can't you ??!! Maybe not, after all, you are only Republicans of the lesser kind, at that !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, Chicago | July 2, 2008 9:20 PM
And Serena, look how wonderful poorly regulated capitalism works. How many Bear Stearns fat cats do want want to bail out? The option of course was to let them crater along with grandpa's life savings in tow. I it a good thing these "free market" corporations have sympathizers and enablers who support their tax free fronts in the Caymans or Bermuda? Wake up and see who owns our government today. Don't confuse "free market" capitalism with democracy. You don't need to be a socialist to recognize that you are being fleeced.
Posted by: BobLT | July 3, 2008 5:15 PM