A union-funded "independent" group has agreed to a large fine from the FEC for violating Campaign Finance regulations in 2004, according to Jim Kuhnhenn of the Associated Press:
A union-financed advocacy group that played a major role in the 2004 elections has agreed to pay a $580,000 fine after the Federal Election Commission concluded it illegally ran advertising against President Bush and in favor of Democrat John Kerry.In an agreement announced Monday, the FEC said the now inactive Media Fund spent $53.4 million during the contest on television, radio and newspaper ads and direct mail that made reference to Bush or Kerry. The FEC said the fund violated campaign finance laws because it accepted unlimited donations from labor unions and expressly advocated the defeat or victory of a political candidate.
Read the whole article at the link above. Several of these groups - from across the political spectrum - have been fined for violations from the 2004 campaign. "527" groups are not allowed to spend money advocating the election or defeat of federal candidates, but they still do it - and why wouldn't they? Even if they are caught and fined, it won't be until YEARS after the election they illegally influenced. In the meantime, they don't even have to disclose their funding sources as they would have to as a Political Action Committee. Worse yet, the "fine" may seem large, but it amounts to a little over 1% of the amount they spent on the election. That'll teach 'em - NOT.
Campaign Finance laws are a dreadful sham. While the goal of "keeping money out of politics" has some superficial appeal, it's about as practical as keeping flies off of manure by posting "NO FLIES!" signs in a cow pasture.
Permalink | Send To A Friend | Linking Blogs | Digg this!
Filed under:
Campaign Contributions, Legal action, Special Interest Groups
Tags: campaign finance, Federal Election Commission, law, union thugs
Comments (3)
Hmmm_ Mad Malkin ignoring W... (Below threshold)1. Posted by bryanD | November 20, 2007 11:11 PM | Score: -1 (1 votes cast)
Hmmm_ Mad Malkin ignoring Wounded Warriors(tm) getting gouged for their sign-up bonuses by Uncle Sam...hmmm...
"Captain" Ed faces the story head-on, though:
long/short: their slackers.
Romney INSISTS we'll "never know the truth" about the anti-Mormon push polling...
translation: I, Romney, did it. Now, can't we all get along?
Sorry for the topics :)
(Not that 527s don't deserve a Thucydides)
1. Posted by bryanD | November 20, 2007 11:11 PM |
Score: -1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on November 20, 2007 23:11
2. Posted by Stephen Macklin | November 22, 2007 10:37 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Campaign Finance Reform has never been about removing the influence and corruption of big money donors from politics. It is about reducing the "appearance" of corruption by making a little harder for the average person to see.
2. Posted by Stephen Macklin | November 22, 2007 10:37 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on November 22, 2007 22:37
3. Posted by jpm100 | November 25, 2007 1:19 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Yet McCain feels he has nothing to defend.
As for bryanD's logic, we can only conclude that bryanD is actually Mitt Romney. How clever.
3. Posted by jpm100 | November 25, 2007 1:19 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on November 25, 2007 13:19