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Campaign Legal Center sent a letter to the Charter Commission of Portland, Maine, addressing the constitutionality of the commission’s proposed city charter amendment that would protect Portland elections from foreign influence.
On June 22, 2022, Campaign Legal Center (CLC) filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) alleging that unknown contributors violated the federal straw donor ban by making a $50,000 contribution to the super PAC Wyoming Values in the name of “Snow Goose, LLC," an obscure Wyoming limited liability company, thereby concealing the true contributors’ identities from public disclosure.
On June 9, 2022, Campaign Legal Center (CLC) filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) alleging that gun manufacturer Daniel Defense, LLC, violated the federal contractor contribution ban by contributing $100,000 to the Gun Owners Action Fund, a super PAC, while negotiating or performing under multiple federal contracts.
Campaign Legal Center sent a letter to the Charter Commission of Portland, Maine, in support of a city charter amendment that would protect Portland elections from foreign influence.
On June 7, 2022, Campaign Legal Center (CLC) filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) alleging that Medical Place, Inc., an Alabama-based medical equipment supplier, violated the federal contractor contribution ban by contributing $100,000 to Alabama Conservatives Fund, a super PAC exclusively supporting a candidate for the U.S. Senate in Alabama, while negotiating or performing under federal contracts.
On June 6, 2022, Campaign Legal Center (CLC) filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) alleging that Protect Ohio Values PAC, a super PAC, made illegal in-kind contributions to JD Vance for Senate, J.D. Vance’s campaign for the U.S. Senate in Ohio, in the form of polling data, voter targeting information and draft campaign communications that Protect Ohio Values provided, free of charge, to Vance’s campaign via an obscure website hidden from the general public. The complaint further alleges that the Vance’s campaign knowingly accepted these in-kind contributions and used the materials to further Vance’s candidacy, including by producing a campaign ad based on the Protect Ohio Values script.
On June 2, 2022, Campaign Legal Center (CLC) filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) alleging that unknown contributors violated the federal straw donor ban by making a $250,000 contribution to the super PAC Alabama Conservatives Fund in the name of “Free Market, LLC," an obscure Alabama limited liability company, thereby concealing the true contributors’ identities from public disclosure.
Campaign Legal Center (CLC) sent a letter to New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu’s office urging him to veto Senate Bill 302, an anti-transparency bill that prohibits state and local authorities in New Hampshire from requiring nonprofit entities to disclose any information about their donors and supporters.
On May 20, 2022, CLC filed a complaint with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) alleging that Rural America Fund, a 501(c)(4) tax-exempt nonprofit, failed to fulfill its legal obligation to provide CLC with its Forms 990 upon request.
On May 19, 2022, Campaign Legal Center (CLC) filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) alleging that unknown contributors violated the federal straw donor ban by making contributions totaling $125,000 in the name of “Tread Standard, LLC," an obscure Delaware limited liability company, to two super PACs, 34N22, Inc. and South Florida Residents First, thereby concealing their identities from public disclosure.
On May 5, 2022, Campaign Legal Center (CLC) filed suit against Heritage Action for America, a secret money group that spent more than $300,000 expressly advocating for congressional candidates in 2018. The suit alleges that Heritage Action failed to report its contributors as required by federal campaign finance law.
Kedric Payne, Campaign Legal Center's (CLC) vice president, general counsel, and senior director, ethics, testified on the Supreme Court’s approach to ethics, transparency and accountability. His testimony focused on how the Supreme Court’s ethics rules lag behind the executive and legislative branches.
Campaign Legal Center (CLC) submitted this written statement for the record as part of a May 2022 hearing on "Laws and Enforcement Governing the Political Activities of Tax-Exempt Entities" conducted by the United States Senate Committee on Finance. CLC’s statement summarizes what more should be done to protect voters’ right to transparent political campaigns amidst ongoing misuse of federal nonprofit and tax code rules to hide the true sources of election spending.
On May 2, 2022, Campaign Legal Center (CLC) filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) alleging that William Pulte and/or unknown contributors violated the federal straw donor ban by making a $500,000 contribution in the name of “ML Organization, LLC," an obscure Delaware limited liability company, to “Make America Great Again, Again!”, a super PAC that is closely aligned with former President Donald J. Trump and intends to support Trump-endorsed candidates in the 2022 midterm congressional elections.
Decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit upholding the challenged Rhode Island disclosure laws.
On March 7, 2022, the Rhode Island State Board of Elections Respondents filed a brief in the Supreme Court in opposition to a petition seeking review of the state’s top-five donor disclaimer requirement, which requires groups to disclose their top five largest contributors on certain electioneering ads. Along with the Rhode Island Office of Attorney General, Campaign Legal Center (CLC) served as outside co-counsel to the respondents in the Supreme Court.
On April 22, 2022, Campaign Legal Center (CLC) filed suit against 45Committee, a secret money group that spent as much as $38 million in 2016 to help elect former President Donald Trump. The suit alleges that 45Committee failed to register as a political committee as required by federal law, thereby avoiding disclosure of its donors and spending.
On April 21, 2022, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia found that the Federal Election Commission failed to conform with the court’s Nov. 8, 2021 order directing the agency to end its delay in acting on CLC’s allegations against 45Committee, and accordingly, ordered that CLC may bring an action to enforce FECA against 45Committee.
On April 11, 2022, Campaign Legal Center (CLC) submitted a statement in support of the proposed Democracy Dollars program in Oakland to the Oakland Public Ethics Commission. The Democracy Dollars program would establish a voucher-based public financing system for several elected offices in Oakland, California.
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) found reason to believe that Zekelman Industries, Inc., Wheatland Tube, LLC, and Barry Zekelman violated the foreign national contribution ban and issued a record-breaking $975,000 civil penalty. The decision follows a 2019 complaint filed by Campaign Legal Center (CLC.)