FEC Fines Swift Boat Vets $300K

[edbermac]

Is the era of the millionaire-backed attack group coming to an end?

The Federal Election Commission hit the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth with a $299,500 fine today for playing too fast with election rules. The Swift Boat Vets were a "527" organization, which has no limits on contributions, but were acting like federal political committees, the FEC charged. 527s are allowed to work for or against certain candidates, but if they have no other "major purpose," according to FEC spokesman Bob Biersack, then they should register as a committee.

That's a huge difference. Committees can only accept $5,000 in contributions per person per year. The Swift Boat Vets, by comparison, accepted $4.4 million from GOP money man Bob Perry in 2004. Perry played the same trick in this year's election, throwing $9 million at three different 527 attack groups, which used it to target dozens of Democratic congressional candidates all over the country. Democrats have also taken advantage of 527s, and two liberal groups were fined today: MoveOn and the League of Conservation Voters.

If the FEC were to really crack down on this sort of thing (the 527 loophole has been an open secret for a number of years), as they've idly been threatening to do, then 2008 would be a remarkably different election than the past two cycles.

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/002141.php

[bryant69]

1. It'd be interesting to see how that would shake out

I know the right wing talks about the evils of 527s (like MoveOn.Org in their case) as well - could this be the first shot at taking out MoveOn? I would hope not because MoveOn does a number of things besides work for and against candidates, but we'll have to see.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[wicket]

2. Excellent!

K & R

:kick:

[Morgana LaFey]

21. No, not so excellent. Not at all.

If you'll stop and think about it -- they got away with it, did their dirty deeds with all that funding, and look how long after the election hey have to pay? And pay what, just the cost of doing business.

No, not excellent at all.

[zreosumgame]

3. IMHO they should be fined the full 4.4 million

then sued until they scream...then sued some more!

[twilight_sailing]

4. Cheap at twice the price

Those folks are rich. A $299,500 fine is nothing to them.

Look what they got for it? They turned an honest to goodness war hero
into a goat in the public mind. $299,500? That's cheap.

[SoCalDem]

19. Yep.. that's chump change.. and fining them after the fact

is just an extra insult to the rest of us. EVERYONE knew what they were doing was wrong, but until a "court" told them 3 years later, they just kept on doing it..

It's easier to ask for forgiveness, than for permission...ask any teenager how that works..

You go ahead and do the "fun" thing, even though you know it's wrong...hope mom & dad "forgive you" afterwards...because you KNOW they would never give permission.

And of course, Move On and the other one had to step up and fight fire with fire, so they got fined too, so in the eyes of the "public" there's that ole equivalency again :puke:

Mandatory Public financing is the ONLY solution

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

5. That's Awesome! How Much Did Moveon Get Hit With Though, Anyone Know?

[izzybeans]

10. 150,000, the league of conservation voters 100,000

http://www.fec.gov/press/press2006/20061213murs.html

[libodem]

6. This move should help

moderate rich guys throwing down a lot of dough for specific dirty deeds.

[underpants]

7. FOX NEW ALERT! MoveOn fined by FEC

Like that would shock you

[MidwestTransplant]

16. Did they mention the Swift Boat liars?

[David Zephyr]

8. K&R

Kick.

[berni_mccoy]

9. Why is MoveOn being Fined? They do FAR More than just support/attack candidates?

They fit the definition of 527 while SwiftBoaters does not.

[izzybeans]

11. The explanation file at the FEC is broken at the moment. Check this link later

http://www.fec.gov/press/press2006/20061213murs.html

There is a hotlink to the three 527s, MoveOn's is not working.

[Mabus]

13. to get the report

go to http://eqs.sdrdc.com/eqs/searcheqs?SUBMIT=new&CURRSTATE=fec.mur.gui.CaseView and you want MUR for the case type and 5754 for the case number.

[izzybeans]

14. Thanks!

[Mabus]

15. Lots of documents there

Happy to help out!

[sinkingfeeling]

20. MoveOn Voter Fund was fined $150,000.

[ray of light]

12. kick

[porphyrian]

17. I'll kick that, just to make sure everybody reads it. - n/t

[brazos121200]

18. Too Little, too late.

[Egalitariat]

22. I'd be surprised if they've got that much in the bank. No worries*

nm

[nashville_brook]

23. that's the "lying sacks of shit" fine

[Quantess]

24. Good news.

:donut: