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melman

(7,681 posts) Thu Mar 7, 2019, 02:31 AM Mar 2019

Conservative group alleges AOC and her allies ran PAC scam. But there's no evidence of wrongdoing.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's congressional campaign has come under scrutiny in recent days for what a conservative group has alleged is a massive violation of campaign finance law.

The National Legal and Policy Center filed a complaint with the Federal Elections Commission on Tuesday, alleging that the New York Democrat and her allies used a corporation to skirt campaign finance reporting laws. The complaint comes after a number of conservative-leaning outlets said Ocasio-Cortez broke campaign finance laws when she hired her boyfriend for marketing work.

David Mitrani, an attorney representing Ocasio-Cortez's campaign and the related organizations named in the FEC complaint, pushed back strongly on the reports in a statement Wednesday, saying that the entities "have at all times been conducted fully in compliance with federal campaign finance laws."

Campaign finance experts, meanwhile, told NBC News that while the structure of her campaign and its vendors might be confusing, there's no evidence of some kind of million-dollar scam as has been alleged in news reports.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/fact-check-did-ocasio-cortez-her-team-break-campaign-finance-n980121

8 replies

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Conservative group alleges AOC and her allies ran PAC scam. But there's no evidence of wrongdoing. (Original Post) melman Mar 2019 OP

National Legal and Policy Center melman Mar 2019 #1

+1 dalton99a Mar 2019 #2

Nearly as suspect as the crew that concocted the DNC "fraud" lawsuit. ehrnst Mar 2019 #7

Interesting. nt Guy Whitey Corngood Mar 2019 #8

Lol I got 20 bucks says this is republican projection pure and simple, Volaris Mar 2019 #3

she's been in congress for 2 months and the gop is going full blown insane. Afromania Mar 2019 #4

Either there is a violation or there isn't, and from this article is no evidence that any violations still_one Mar 2019 #5

There is no legal requirement for campaign finance transparency in this instance. lapucelle Mar 2019 #6

melman

(7,681 posts)

1. National Legal and Policy Center

Reply to melman (Original post)

Thu Mar 7, 2019, 02:35 AM

Mar 2019

"National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC) is a front group and industry funded right-wing political and policy lobbying organization. NLPC was founded in 1991 by Peter Flaherty and Ken Boehm, who previously worked for "Citizens for Reagan".[1]"

https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/National_Legal_and_Policy_Center

The National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC) is a right-leaning 501(c)(3) non-profit group that monitors and reports on the ethics of public officials, supporters of liberal causes, and labor unions in the United States. The Center files complaints with government agencies, legally challenges what they view as abuse and corruption, and publishes reports. The NLPC is described as conservative in nature.[1] The NLPC's current president is Peter Flaherty.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Legal_and_Policy_Center

Someone in the other thread asked who "they" are. That's who.

dalton99a

(81,515 posts)

2. +1

Reply to melman (Reply #1)

Thu Mar 7, 2019, 02:36 AM

Mar 2019

ehrnst

(32,640 posts)

7. Nearly as suspect as the crew that concocted the DNC "fraud" lawsuit.

Reply to melman (Reply #1)

Thu Mar 7, 2019, 01:36 PM

Mar 2019

Jared and Elizabeth Beck.

Just as baseless and silly, and just as unlikely to find any illegal activity.

Guy Whitey Corngood

(26,501 posts)

8. Interesting. nt

Reply to melman (Reply #1)

Thu Mar 7, 2019, 03:42 PM

Mar 2019

Volaris

(10,272 posts)

3. Lol I got 20 bucks says this is republican projection pure and simple,

Reply to melman (Original post)

Thu Mar 7, 2019, 02:50 AM

Mar 2019

And whatever republican congress-critter this group supports should be very seriously looked at for exactly the same crime.

I got another 20 bucks says it's somebody based in New York ...

Afromania

(2,769 posts)

4. she's been in congress for 2 months and the gop is going full blown insane.

Reply to melman (Original post)

Thu Mar 7, 2019, 03:11 AM

Mar 2019

they are truly afraid of her.

still_one

(92,217 posts)

5. Either there is a violation or there isn't, and from this article is no evidence that any violations

Reply to melman (Original post)

Thu Mar 7, 2019, 03:47 AM

Mar 2019

occurred, but we will know soon enough

lapucelle

(18,268 posts)

6. There is no legal requirement for campaign finance transparency in this instance.

Reply to melman (Original post)

Thu Mar 7, 2019, 07:09 AM

Mar 2019

According to Paul S. Ryan, a campaign finance expert who works at the nonprofit government watchdog Common Cause, FEC laws don't require transparency from vendors and sub-vendors hired by campaigns or PACs.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/fact-check-did-ocasio-cortez-her-team-break-campaign-finance-n980121

David Mitrani, attorney for the PACs, the LLC and Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign, said in a statement Tuesday that all four entities “fully complied with the law and the highest ethical standards.”

snip==================================================

In his statement, Mitrani said that the PACs did not disclose information about the ultimate recipients of the money because they were not required to do so by the FEC.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/payments-to-corporation-owned-by-ocasio-cortez-aide-come-under-scrutiny/2019/03/05/ae5045ee-3f61-11e9-9361-301ffb5bd5e6_story.html?utm_term=.ef82d202317d

There is nothing illegal about PACs like Justice Democrats and Brand New Congress limiting their campaign finance disclosure (including disbursement to vendors and recipients like Brand New Congress LLC) to that which is legally required.

https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/expenditures.php?cmte=C00613810&cycle=2018

https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/expenditures.php?cycle=2018&cmte=C00630665

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