Is the new 527, "American Leadership Project", legal?

tekisui

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Fri Feb-22-08 08:59 AM
Original message

Is the new 527, "American Leadership Project", legal?

The American Leadership Project is a new 527 that is headed by former (Bill) Clinton staffers, and seems to have only one agenda, promoting Clinton over Obama. This and other 527's can take unlimited contributions from individuals. As pointed out in an Obama e-mail:

ABC News reports that this group is seeking 100 Clinton supporters to each give $100,000 to fund its $10 million effort to promote Senator Clinton and "contrast" her positions with Barack Obama's.

(snip)

Groups like this are forbidden from working primarily for the purpose of electing or defeating a candidate.

Yet here we have a committee that springs up on the eve of an election, promotes a specific candidate, and has no history or apparent purpose of lobbying specific issues outside the benefit to the candidate of these communications.

This raises a number of legal and ethical issues....

Can anyone well versed in the rules and regulations on 527's shed some light on the possible violations of this new 527?

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Yossariant

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Fri Feb-22-08 09:02 AM
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1. Can anyone shed some light on the possible violations of the 527 known as Moveon?

:rofl:

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tekisui

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Fri Feb-22-08 09:03 AM
Response to Reply #1

2. They have more agendas and campaigns, other than endorsing Obama.

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BzaDem

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Fri Feb-22-08 09:09 AM
Response to Original message

3. The ads themselves seem to be legal.

Under the original McCain-Feingold bill, corporation and union funds cannot be used to produce an ad naming a federal candidate for office 30 days before a primary. However, funds from a PAC of a corporation or union (money raised specifically for political purposes) can be used.

Unfortunately, the latest Supreme Court Decision (FEC vs. Wisconsin Right To Life) essentially wrote this provision out of the bill. So I'm not sure of the legal status of 527 or this 527 group, but as far as the ads they are airing, they don't seem to be breaking the law.

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