The American Prospect: Republican FEC Commissioners Say They Will Crack Down on Shadowy LLCs. But Do They Mean It?

Under the commissioners’ reasoning, the Republicans could justify letting off the hook any player subject to an LLC complaint prior to its Friday statement, says Paul S. Ryan, deputy executive director at the Campaign Legal Center, one of the groups that has complained to the FEC about LLCs.

In fact, Ryan sees the potential for last week’s Republican statement of explanation to open up further loopholes in the law. Campaign-finance lawyers could begin to advise clients who want to make anonymous contributions to use other vehicles on which the FEC also has failed to give clear guidance, like unincorporated associations or limited liability partnerships, he said.

But in the near-term, campaign-finance groups will be keeping a close eye on the FEC, hoping for the best but expecting continued inaction. If the Republican commissioners really want to scrutinize LLCs more closely, as Goodman’s comments to the Post suggest, they will have plenty of chances to do so as the agency mulls a half-dozen LLC complaints from the Campaign Legal Center, Democracy 21, and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW.)

To read the full story at The American Prospect, click here.