In case you missed it, failed politician John James is once again facing scrutiny for “very troubling” activity and potentially violating federal law after begging for outside dark money support to boost his flailing campaign. Within hours of James’ campaign circulating an internal memo soliciting and directing dark money spending, Mitch McConnell’s dark money group announced they’re spending $4.5 million to boost James on the airwaves. The ad released to benefit James was immediately exposed for it’s “misleading” claims and “false conclusion.”
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Detroit News: GOP group airs nearly $3M in ads for James as Democrats file complaint
- The spending by the nonprofit group One Nation — affiliated with the GOP super political action committee Senate Leadership Fund — is part of its plan to commit $4.5 million to the Michigan contest, where James is trying to unseat Peters, a first-term senator from Bloomfield Township.
- The One Nation ads followed an internal James campaign memo last week noting the lack of a “corresponding conservative ally” going “on the air against Gary Peters” in Michigan to counter $1.6 million in spending by a pro-Peters group called Duty and Honor.
- Michigan Democratic Party Chair Lavora Barnes quoted Sandler’s memo in a complaint filed Monday with the Federal Election Commission, alleging that the James campaign “or its agents” had leaked the memo to the press to solicit and direct dark money to support James’ candidacy in violation of campaign finance law.
- Federal law prohibits candidates from soliciting or directing funds that aren’t subject to federal campaign contribution limits or reporting requirements.
- “The intent of the memorandum is clear — there is no way to read it other than as an ask for outside group spending on behalf of Mr. James,” Barnes wrote, asking the FEC to investigate and impose sanctions for any violations of the law.
- “John James will stop at nothing to try to save his flailing campaign, even if it means apparently violating federal law to get dark money support with ads that lie to voters,” party spokesperson Elena Kuhn said.
- There are grounds in the complaint against the James campaign to warrant an investigation by the FEC, said Paul S. Ryan, vice president for policy and litigation at Common Cause.
- “It’s not a slam dunk based on what’s in the memo, but the optics certainly look horrible,” said Ryan, who studies and practices federal campaign finance law.
- “This type of activity is very troubling. This kind of candidate encouragement of unlimited, potentially undisclosed outside group spending presents the threat of corruption in politics,” he added.
MLive: Michigan Democrats claim John James solicited support from ‘dark money’ group
- The Michigan Democratic Party filed a complaint alleging Republican U.S. Senate candidate John James attempted to solicit financial support from political organizations Monday.
- The complaint is the second charge MDP filed with the Federal Elections Commission against James’ campaign this election cycle, neither of which have been resolved as of Aug. 24. A Michigan Democratic Party spokesperson said the complaints illustrate a pattern of behavior.
- The latest complaint concerns an internal memo from the James campaign that was published by Politico. The finance memo argues James is in a strong position to win the election, partly because he is consistently outraising his Democratic opponent, but has “no corresponding conservative ally” buying media ads.
- The same day the memo was published online, news broke about a Political Action Committee reserving $4.5 million in television, cable and radio ads to attack Peters.
- Michigan Democratic Party Chair Lavora Barnes signed the complaint. Spokesperson Elena Kuhn said James “continues to demonstrate he’s in the pocket of special interests.”
- “John James will stop at nothing to try to save his flailing campaign, even if it means apparently violating federal law to get dark money support with ads that lie to voters,” Kuhn said in a statement.
- Michigan Democrats filed another complaint against James in March, alleging he coordinated with his former campaign manager to form a PAC in support of his Senate bid. Better Future Michigan Fund has spent $1.5 million to oppose Peters, around half of which came from donations by the DeVos family.
- The MDP filed a complaint in June arguing Trump administration officials illegally promoted James’ campaign during a taxpayer-funded White House event earlier this year. James attended a “listening session” with Black leaders organized by President Donald Trump and other administration officials during a visit to Ypsilanti in May.
MIRS: Dems File FEC Complaint Against James For Soliciting Dark Money
- The Michigan Democratic Party is filing a Federal Election Commission (FEC) complaint today against Republican U.S. Senate candidate John JAMES after an internal campaign memo was reported in the press that calle “for outside air support from Republican groups.”
- The memo from the campaign’s general consultant to the James campaign’s finance and steering committees was reported in POLITICO on Aug. 18, according to the complaint.
- Within hours of the memo being published, Roll Call reported that One Nation, a dark money group with ties to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McCONNELL, was placing its first ad buy of the cycle in Michigan totaling $4.5 million to benefit James.
- A federal candidate, or agent of a candidate’s campaign, is prohibited from soliciting or directing funds to help their campaign from dark money groups, according to the complaint. The memo published was clearly written to solicit and direct the spending of dark money to support James’ campaign.
- The Democratic party is calling on the FEC to conduct an immediate investigation into James’ apparent illegal solicitation of dark money spending in support of his campaign.
Gongwer: FEC Complaint Alleges James Solicited, Directed Dark Money Group
- The Michigan Democratic Party filed a Federal Election Commission complaint last Friday against the campaign of Republican U.S. Senate candidate John James, alleging that his campaign had recently attempted to solicit spending in the race from outside conservative groups.
- In the complaint filed by Michigan Democratic Party Chair Lavora Barnes, an investigation is requested into possible solicitation and directing of PAC funds as well as action to sanction and prevent future violations.
- Ms. Barnes’ complaint alleges that the campaign violated the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 and FEC regulations by soliciting and directing the spending of outside money in support of his campaign against Mr. Peters. […]
- Hours after the memo was reported on by Politico, the complaint states that news outlet Roll Call reported that a $4.5 million ad buy on television, cable and radio was announced by conservative group One Nation, which supports Republican candidates and is affiliated with the Republican super PAC the Senate Leadership Fund. […]
- Under federal law, a candidate for federal office is barred from soliciting or directing funds in connection with an election for federal office that are not subject to federal contribution limits or reporting requirements. This ban is for both candidates and their agents, meaning any person with authority to solicit, receive, transfer or spend funds for that election.
- Ms. Barnes in the complaint states that the memo is addressed to the James campaign’s finance and steering committees, who are almost certainly agents of the committee and subject to the ban.
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