Source: https://www.scribd.com/document/109126679/FEC-Complaint
Timestamp: 2018-07-23 02:59:04
Document Index: 350871009

Matched Legal Cases: ['§437', '§109', '§109', '§109', '§100', '§109', '§109', '§109', '§ 431', '§ 100']

FEC Complaint | Political Action Committee | Federal Election Commission
Uploaded by MaineGOP
October 5, 2012 BY HAND-DELIVERY Anthony Herman, Esq.
General Counsel Federal Election Commission 999 E Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20463 Re: Complaint Against Angus King, Angus King For Senate, Eliot Cutler, and Americans Elect.
Dear Mr. Herman: This letter constitutes a formal complaint filed pursuant to 2 U.S.C. §437g(a)(1) against Angus King, a purportedly “independent” candidate for United States Senate in Maine; Mr. King’s principal campaign committee, Angus King for Senate; Eliot Cutler, Mr. King’s campaign chairman and a director of Americans Elect; and Americans Elect, a purported “non-partisan” 501(c)(4) organization. Based upon information and belief, set forth below and in the attached materials, the Republican Party of Maine files this complaint seeking an immediate investigation by the Federal Election Commission (“FEC” or “Commission”) into the illegal coordinated spending practices of Mr. Cutler and Americans Elect (collectively “Cutler”), and the illegal acceptance by Mr. King and his principal campaign committee, Angus King for Senate, (collectively “King”) of contributions from Americans Elect. Further, Americans Elect – an organization that is primarily engaged in candidate support activity – including for a particular identified candidate – has failed to file with, and report to, the Commission as a political committee. The public record makes clear, and an investigation will no doubt confirm, that there is reason to believe that Mr. Cutler and Americans Elect have illegally coordinated with King, and that King has accepted that support, in violation of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended (“FECA” or “Act”), and Commission regulations. Cutler and King have engaged in coordinated communications that amount to a prohibited in-kind contribution from Americans Elect to King, and Americans Elect has failed to file and report to the Commission as a political committee. FACTUAL BACKGROUND On March 8, 2012 – 3 days after Angus King announced that he was running for Senate – the King campaign issued a press release identifying Eliot Cutler as one of the King campaign’s 9 statewide chairman. A true and correct copy of that press
Anthony Herman, Esq. October 5, 2012 Page 2 release is attached hereto as Exhibit A. The press release quoted Mr. King describing the integral role his statewide chairman would play in his campaign: These individuals bring great resources and ideas to our campaign. Together, we are committed to working to overcome gridlock and to unite Mainers in sending a strong message of the need to bring civility, effective leadership and solutions to Washington. Ex. A. Americans Elect, and its board of directors – including King campaign chairman Eliot Cutler – have now decided to intervene in the Maine Senate race with over $500,000 in direct support of a particular identified candidate, Mr. King. On-screen, the ad’s text reads: “Angus King, Independent for U.S. Senate,” and “Angus King, an Independent Fighter for Maine.” Ex. B. Mr. Culter, since in or about December 15, 2011 and continuing today, sits on Americans Elect’s 8-member board of directors. Ex. C. Media reports have noted that “if Mr. Cutler hasn’t stepped down [as either King campaign chairman or director of Americans Elect] it is likely to raise concerns about coordination.” Maggie Haberman, “Americans Elect airs $500k in Maine Air Time in Support of King,” Politico, Oct. 5, 2012; Alexis Levinson, “Americans Elect Runs Ad in Support of Angus King in Maine,” The Daily Caller, Oct. 5, 2012 (Ex. D). As of today, Mr. Cutler is listed on the Americans Elect website as a member of the Board of Directors (http://www.americanselect.org -- accessed on October 5, 2012). Ex. C. Mr. King, who entered the Senate race claiming that he would “never” run a negative campaign ad, accept no PAC money, condemning the influence of third-party group advertising, and with a healthy lead in the polls, has of late been struggling. Polls show that his popularity and ballot numbers have been in free-fall, and his opponents’ have been rising. Mr. King’s fundraising has also been less than stellar – despite trips to Washington, D.C. and elsewhere to raise PAC and other outof-state money for himself. In short, Mr. King finds himself in unexpectedly territory: a real race. In dire need of support from the very type of organization about which he stated “the people running these [outside] ads don’t give a damn about Maine,” and “out-of-state interests trying to tell Mainers how to vote,” Americans Elect, an organization on whose board of directors Mr. King’s own campaign chairman sits, has suddenly decided to buy over $500,000 in television ads advocating for Mr. King’s election. Steve Mistler, “Republican Group’s Ad Blasts Angus King and Cynthia Dill on Wind Energy,” Morning Sentinel, Sept. 14, 2012; Scott Thistle, “Maine Politicians Get Advertising From Away,” Sun Journal, August 29, 2012. Americans Elect
Anthony Herman, Esq. October 5, 2012 Page 3 Americans Elect was incorporated in April, 2010 as an allegedly non-partisan 501(c)(4) social welfare organization. Its Internal Revenue Service filings clearly state: “AMERICANS ELECT DOES NOT AND WILL NOT SUPPORT OR OPPOSE ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE COMMITTEE.” A true and correct copy of Americans Elect’s IRS Form 990 filing for 2010 is attached hereto as Exhibit E. See Ex. E, p. 27. Americans Elect’s advertisement features positive footage of Mr. King while extolling Maine voters to vote for him: As governor, Angus brought business and government together to create jobs, and sought the best ideas from both parties. Maine values we need in Washington. A true and correct copy of the Americans Elect pro-King ad, along with screen-shots, is attached hereto as Exhibit B. Americans Elect’s 990 filing also states that it has a conflicts of interest policy that is written to: [P]rotect the organization’s interest when it is contemplating entering into a transaction or arrangement that might benefit the private interest of the organization’s directors, officers, or committee member. In connection with any possible conflicts of interest, an interested person must disclose the existence of his or her interest and all material facts to the directors considering the proposed transaction or agreement. After disclosure of all material facts and discussion with the person, the person shall leave the board meeting while the determination of a conflict of interest is discussed and voted upon. The remaining board members shall determine whether a conflict of interest exists. Ex. E. It is unclear whether Mr. Cutler disclosed to the Americans Elect board of directors that he was a King campaign chairman before Americans Elect decided to spend over $500,000 in direct support of Angus King’s election – and if so, what determination the Americans Elect board of directors made. LEGAL ANALYSIS A. There Is Reason To Believe That King, Mr. Cutler, and Americans Elect Violated FECA By Disseminating Coordinated Communications, Resulting In A Prohibited In-Kind Contributions From Americans Elect to King.
When a corporation, such as Americans Elect, makes an expenditure for a communication that is coordinated with a candidate or candidate’s campaign committee, the communication is a prohibited in-kind contribution to the candidate under the Act. See 11 C.F.R. §109.20. Commission regulations establish a three-pronged test for determining whether a public communication is coordinated with a candidate and, as established below, the activities of Americans Elect satisfy all
Anthony Herman, Esq. October 5, 2012 Page 4 three prongs. Accordingly, there is reason to believe that Americans Elect has made an illegal inkind contributions to King.
Payment Prong In order for the payment prong of the Commission’s coordination regulations to be satisfied, an entity apart from the candidate or the candidate’s campaign committee must pay, in whole or in part, for the communication. See 11 C.F.R. §109.21(a)(1). This prong is satisfied when an entity apart from the candidate or the candidate’s campaign committee pays for a communication at issue. Americans Elect satisfied the payment prong by paying for the communication at issue. See Exhibit B (includes a screen-shot of Americans Elect’s pro-King ad’s disclaimer). 1. Content Prong
In order for the content prong to be satisfied, the communication must be considered a public communication1 and must meet any one of the following standards: (1) the public communication republishes, disseminates, or distributes candidate campaign materials; (2) the public communication expressly advocates the election or defeat of a clearly identified federal candidate at any time; or (3) the public communication refers to a clearly identified House or Senate candidate and is publicly distributed in the candidate’s jurisdiction within ninety (90) days of the candidate’s primary or general election. See 11 C.F.R. §109.21(c). Americans Elect’s ad qualifies as a public communication and refers to a clearly identified U.S. Senate candidate, Angus King. The television ad was publicly distributed in Maine, the candidate’s jurisdiction, and such distribution began on or about October 5, 2012, which is within ninety days of the general election. In addition, the advertisements expressly advocate for Angus King. See Exhibit B. Accordingly, Americans Elect’s mailing satisfies the content prong. 2. Conduct Prong
In order for the conduct prong of the Commission’s coordination regulations to be satisfied, one of five conduct standards must be met. Relevant here are the following three standards: Request or Suggestion. The conduct prong is met if the person creating, producing, or distributing the communication does so at the request or suggestion of a candidate, authorized
“Public communication” means a communication by means of any broadcast, cable, or satellite communication, newspaper, magazine, outdoor advertising facility, mass mailing, or telephone bank to the general public, or any other form of general public political advertising. The term general public political advertising shall not include communications over the Internet, except for communications placed for a fee on another person’s Web site.” 11 C.F.R. §100.26.
Anthony Herman, Esq. October 5, 2012 Page 5 committee, or any agent thereof; or if the person paying for the communication suggests the creation, production, or distribution of the communication to the candidate, authorized committee, or any agents thereof, and the candidate assents to the suggestion. See 11 C.F.R. §109.21(d)(1). Material Involvement. The conduct prong is met if a candidate, authorized committee, or any agents thereof, are “materially involved” in the decision making regarding the: (1) content of the communication; (2) intended audience; (3) means or mode of the communication; (4) specific media outlet used; (5) timing or frequency of the communication; or (6) size or prominence of a printed communication or duration of a communication by means of broadcast, cable, or satellite. See 11 C.F.R. §109.21(d)(2). Substantial Discussion. The conduct prong is met if a communication is created, produced, or distributed after one or more substantial discussions between the individual paying for the communication (or the person’s agents) and the candidate or candidate’s opponent (or the candidate’s agents). A discussion is “substantial” if information about the plans, projects, activities, or needs of the candidate that is material to the creation, production, or distribution of the communication is conveyed to the individual paying for the communication. See 11 C.F.R. §109.21(d)(3). Americans Elect’s and King’s actions clearly satisfy all three of these standards. Mr. Cutler serves as a King campaign chairman and is someone who Angus King himself stated would be integral in developing “ideas for” and “bringing resources to” his campaign. Mr. Culter, simultaneously, sits on the board of directors of Americans Elect – an organization that is breaking its statement of purpose to the IRS and engaging in over $500,000 of direct candidate support for Angus King. Mr. Cutler is a campaign official that is also engaged in independent expenditures on behalf of the very campaign on which he’s working. It is inconceivable that the pro-King Americans Elect communications were made without substantial discussions, material involvement, or the request or suggestion of Cutler – an agent of the King campaign. As such, there is reason to believe that Americans Elect has made prohibited in-kind contributions to King when it paid for a pro-King television ad illegally coordinated with King.
There is Reason to Believe that Americans Elect has Failed to Register and Report to the Commission as a Political Committee.
A “political committee” is “any committee, club, association, or other group of persons which receives contributions aggregating in excess of $1,000 during a calendar year or which makes expenditures aggregating in excess of $1,000 during a calendar year. 2 U.S.C. § 431(9)(A)(i) (defining expenditure to include any purchase “made by any person for the purpose of influencing any election for federal office.” See also, 11 C.F.R. § 100.5. The Commission has also included its own
Anthony Herman, Esq. October 5, 2012 Page 6 “major purpose” test to determine whether an organization such as Americans Elect qualifies as a political committee. Organizations that qualify as political committees must register as such with the Commission, are subject to reporting and disclosure requirements, and may be subject to certain limitations with respect to the sources and amounts of their contributors. In 2008, an organization similar to Americans Elect, Unity08, filed an advisory opinion with the Commission over its political committee status. Unity08 wished to conduct primarily on-line activities encouraging a third party candidate to enter the presidential race; however, it was clear that it would not conduct any activity on behalf of any identified candidate. The Commission ruled that Unity08 would be required to file as a political committee. Ultimately, this decision was overturned by the District of Columbia Circuit Court, which held that Unity08 was outside the Commission’s regulatory reach. Unity08 v. FEC, Case No. 08-5526, Mar. 2, 2010. Vital to the D.C. Circuit’s decision was the fact that Unity08 was not supporting any identified federal candidate. Had Unity08 supported the election or defeat of a clearly identified federal candidate, as Americans Elect does here, the court made clear that Unity 08 would have qualified as a political committee. Unity08 v. FEC at 9 (citing FEC v. Machinists Non-Partisan Political League, 655 F.2d 380 (D.C. Cir. 1981)). Indeed, if anyone should be aware of the ramifications of this decision, it is Mr. King – who was a founder of Unity08. Americans Elect has purchased over $500,000 in television advertisements in Maine advocating for the election of Angus King to the United States Senate. They have done so in violation of their non-profit statement of purpose to the IRS. Americans Elect is a political committee. Americans Elect has failed to register and report to the Commission as they are required to do under the Act. Conclusion Mr. King’s longstanding and continuing fevered embrace of self-serving political expediency is unsurprising, and an issue for Maine voters; however, his illegal actions are an issue for this Commission. Accordingly, the Republican Party of Maine respectfully requests that the Commission conduct a thorough investigation on an expedited basis into the violations outlined above and enter into a prompt conciliation with the respondents to remedy the violations that are found and to ensure that these violations immediately cease and do not reoccur. Mr. King must be held to account for his violations, and for time and again serving his own interests instead of Mainers’. The above is correct and accurate to the best of my knowledge, information, and belief.
Anthony Herman, Esq. October 5, 2012 Page 7 Sincerely,
/s/ Charles Webster, Chairman
SWORN TO AND SUBSCRIBED before me on this ___ day of October, 2012.
_____________________________ Notary Public My commission expires: _____________________________
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