The FEC must investigate and sanction donors who evade disclosure laws

Campaign Legal Center and Democracy 21 file complaints against shell companies hiding donors to Super PACS supporting Rubio and the liberal Coalition for Progress  

WASHINGTON – The Campaign Legal Center, a leading campaign finance watchdog, along with Democracy 21, today filed two complaints with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), calling on the agency to investigate campaign donors who are skirting disclosure laws by hiding behind corporations to anonymously fund elections.

The first complaint asks the FEC to investigate whether DE First Holdings, which came into existence just one day before it gave $1 million to the Super PAC Coalition for Progress, and the person who was the true source of the funds, violated the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA). Based on a report by Politico New Jersey, it appears this company was set up for the purpose of laundering money to a political committee while hiding the true source of the funds.

The second complaint asks the FEC to investigate Andrew Duncan and IGX, LLC for also violating the same sections of the FECA that prohibit the use of straw donors. Duncan admitted in an AP story that he had used the company, IGX, to make a secret donation of $500,000 to the Super PAC supporting Marco Rubio, Conservative Solutions PAC.

“Americans need to be aware of the sources of political money so they can understand if and how public officials could be influenced,” said Paul S. Ryan, deputy executive director of the Campaign Legal Center. “We call on the FEC to enforce the law and ensure our elections are transparent and fair by investigating and sanctioning companies and individuals who mask campaign donations.”