Open Secrets: Ann Ravel’s parting shot
Starting up a nonprofit isn’t the only way to keep donors secret: Ravel also addressed complaints that limited liability companies were created as pass-throughs for campaign contributions, obscuring the original donor. Democracy 21 and the Campaign Legal Center alleged these LLCs donated to pro-Mitt Romney and Barack Obama super PACs to evade disclosure. The FEC split along party lines on whether to open an investigation. (For more background on LLC contributions to super PACs, visit our spreadsheet here.)