Prodded By Campaign Legal Center Complaint Filed With FEC and DOJ, Mystery Million Dollar Donor to Romney-Supporting Super PAC Comes Forward

Date
Issues
Campaign Finance

Yesterday the Campaign Legal Center, together with Democracy 21, filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), and also sent the complaint to the Department of Justice (DOJ), urging investigation of a fly-by-night company called W Spann LLC, which was created in March, contributed $1 million to the Romney-supporting Super PAC Restore Our Future in April and then dissolved in July.

Today the anonymous million dollar donor behind W Spann LLC came forward.  The donor is Ed Conard, a former Bain Capital official with long ties to Mitt Romney.

“We are pleased to see that our complaint prompted this immediate disclosure by Mr. Conard,” said Campaign Legal Center attorney Paul S. Ryan.  “The FEC and DOJ will still have to determine whether the actions to date violated federal law and, if so, pursue appropriate penalties to deter such conduct in the future.”

“The Campaign Legal Center is prepared to vigorously seek legal redress against any similar schemes to hide the true sources of funding of political organizations active in the 2012 election,” Ryan continued.  “The American people should not have to put up with such schemes to evade disclosure of money in our elections.  Both donors and recipient committees, and the candidates they support, should be aware we will be seeking enforcement of the law in every case.”

The complaint filed by the Legal Center and Democracy 21 urged investigation into whether W Spann LLC and the mystery donor behind it violated a federal campaign finance law that prohibits making political contributions through a straw donor to evade disclosure.  The complaint further urged investigation into whether W Spann LLC violated the laws requiring a group with the major purpose of influencing federal elections to register with the FEC as a “political committee” and file disclosure reports. 

To read the FEC complaint, click here.  To read the letter to the Department of Justice, click here.