FEC Has Found Swift Boat Vets Have NOT Met The Letter Of The Law

[kpete]

December 13, 2006
CONTACT: Massie Ritsch (202/857-0044 x111 or [email protected])


Statement on FEC's Enforcement Action

Against Swift Boat Veterans for Truth



WASHINGTON—In response to a 2004 complaint by a coalition of nonpartisan watchdog groups that included the Center for Responsive Politics, the Federal Election Commission announced today that Swift Boat Veterans for Truth will pay a fine of under $300,000 and disband the 527 organization that expressly (and illegally) advocated for the defeat of Sen. John Kerry in the ‘04 presidential election.

The SwiftVets group raised more than $25 million in unlimited individual and corporate donations during the 2004 election cycle with the chief purpose of convincing voters through advertising, direct mail and other communications that Kerry was “unfit for command.” Such overt messages opposing a candidate should have required SwiftVets to register with the FEC as a political committee and abide by contribution limits.

By registering only with the Internal Revenue Service as a tax-exempt 527 organization, SwiftVets was able to accept approximately $12.5 million in individual contributions in excess of the $5,000-per-year limit to political committees and to accept more than $715,000 in prohibited corporate contributions—commonly called “soft money.”

more at:
http://www.opednews.com/maxwrite/linkframe.php?linkpg=http://www.opensecrets.org/pressreleases/2006/FECSettlement.12.13.asp&linkid=27599

[Big Sky Boy]

1. They Should pay more than that

for bastardizing the democratic process the way they did.

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. They fined moveon too

[MOB]

3. what a timely decision!

what a timely decision! it will certainly have an impact on the '04 election! it's not like Kerry needed a response strategy