Yet Another FEC Fail; Rep. Jeff Denham Case Closed
It’s amazing how the broken Federal Election Commission routinely turns black letter law into words written with disappearing ink.
Take the open and shut case against Rep. Jeff Denham (R-CA), who illegally funneled corporate money from his state campaign account through a non-profit group, which used the cash to buy TV ads highlighting the then congressional candidate’s role in a fundraiser for the group. Conveniently, this all happened right before the primary election. Rep. Denham called most of the money he gave to the group a loan. After winning the election, he forgave the loan. His actions earned him a spot in our annual Most Corrupt Members of Congress Report.
So, what did the FEC do? Closed the case without any action despite a finding by the commission’s general counsel finding that there was reason to believe the law had been broken. The same three Republican commissioners who have held the commission hostage for years yet again blocked any enforcement action. Worse, they created a massive loophole that will allow federal candidates across the country to follow Rep. Denham’s illegal blueprint of funneling corporate money into federal elections.
That’s not just CREW’s opinion. It’s shared by Tal Cloud and Michael Der Manouel, Jr. the Republican activists who filed the initial complaint.
Der Manouel predicted Monday that the FEC's deadlocked decision means other candidates will follow Denham's lead and start donating surplus state campaign funds to charities that will advertise the candidates' names.
"I think the FEC has created a loophole that is not wise," Der Manouel said.
Five of the six commissioners are working under expired terms. This case underscores the need for President Obama to show them the door. Americans across the political spectrum would applaud him for it.
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