checks & bal for econ gwth

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</div><div><h1 class="h1 less-margin" style="margin: 0px 0px 6px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 41px; vertical-align: baseline;">CHECKS & BALANCES FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH</h1><div>NB many sis orgs in chart are merely at same addy (many ref in okla)</div><div>
</div>1747 Pennsylvania Ave Nw Ste 1000
Washington, DC 20006<div class="organization-content" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">To engage in research and public education relating to the positive impact public activities have on governmental activities and proprams.<p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">=<p style="margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2013/04/political_group_that_attacked.htmlWebster, Chamberlain & Bean, LLP  is the leading law firm in the United States specializing in the provision of a full range of legal services to nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations. Since 1970, WC&B has provided comprehensive legal services to a broad range of trade associations, professional societies, public charities, private foundations, scientific organizations, churches, clubs, schools and civic groups, lobbying groups, and political committees and candidates.WC&B, located in Washington DC on Pennsylvania Avenue, also assists individuals and businesses of all sizes on business transactions and other legal matters throughout the district and the country.<p style="margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">
<ul class="spread"><li style="margin-bottom: 9px;"><a href="http://www.wc-b.com/bios.php?action=view&id=1" style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(21, 38, 49);">Arthur L. Herold | Partner</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 9px;"><a href="http://www.wc-b.com/bios.php?action=view&id=2" style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(21, 38, 49);">Alan P. Dye | Partner</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 9px;"><a href="http://www.wc-b.com/bios.php?action=view&id=3" style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(21, 38, 49);">Edward D. Coleman | Partner</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 9px;"><a href="http://www.wc-b.com/bios.php?action=view&id=4" style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(21, 38, 49);">Frank M. Northam | Partner</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 9px;"><a href="http://www.wc-b.com/bios.php?action=view&id=5" style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(21, 38, 49);">John W. Hazard Jr. | Partner</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 9px;"><a href="http://www.wc-b.com/bios.php?action=view&id=6" style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(21, 38, 49);">Hugh K. Webster | Partner</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 9px;"><a href="http://www.wc-b.com/bios.php?action=view&id=7" style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(21, 38, 49);">David P. Goch | Partner</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 9px;"><a href="http://www.wc-b.com/bios.php?action=view&id=12" style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(21, 38, 49);">James S. Wilson | Partner</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 9px;"><a href="http://www.wc-b.com/bios.php?action=view&id=9" style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(21, 38, 49);">Heidi K. Abegg | Senior Counsel</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 9px;"><a href="http://www.wc-b.com/bios.php?action=view&id=16" style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(21, 38, 49);">Sarah E. Mooney | Partner</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 9px;"><a href="http://www.wc-b.com/bios.php?action=view&id=8" style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(21, 38, 49);">Charles M. Watkins | Associate</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 9px;"><a href="http://www.wc-b.com/bios.php?action=view&id=10" style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(21, 38, 49);">David M. Abrahams | Associate</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 9px;"><a href="http://www.wc-b.com/bios.php?action=view&id=11" style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(21, 38, 49);">John R. Strout | Associate</a></li></ul><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">dan perrin lobbyist<table class="twoColumn ie-data-table" style="margin: 15px 0px 30px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; width: 520px; line-height: 21px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><tbody style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><tr class="even" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 10px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: top; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><a href="http://influenceexplorer.com/organization/hsa-council/14ba91ada3374f90a56f6192f4e97eba?cycle=2014" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(202, 87, 3); background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">HSA Council</a></td><td class="right" style="margin: 0px; padding: 10px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: top; text-align: right; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">$0</td></tr><tr class="odd" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 10px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: top; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><a href="http://influenceexplorer.com/organization/hsa-coalition/4245e2a270b24fdbb759dc3642fc6a2a?cycle=2014" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(202, 87, 3); background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">HSA Coalition</a></td><td class="right" style="margin: 0px; padding: 10px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: top; text-align: right; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">$0</td></tr><tr class="even" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 10px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: top; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><a href="http://influenceexplorer.com/organization/checks-balances-for-economic-growth/324c7f33c3084addad796e24b0f29002?cycle=2014" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(202, 87, 3); background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Checks & Balances for Economic Growth</a></td><td class="right" style="margin: 0px; padding: 10px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: top; text-align: right; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">$0</td></tr><tr class="odd" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 10px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: top; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><a href="http://influenceexplorer.com/organization/american-defense-council/dc7308b1a31e4ca99baffcbe6c685a0d?cycle=2014" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(202, 87, 3); background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">American Defense Council</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">hmmn<p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">After the recent death of my 94-year-old mother-in-law, we became aware that she had apparently been receiving requests from Seniors Center, a program of Checks & Balances for Economic Growth for money. She obviously had made donations to this entity, since their letters thanked her for previous donations. They use scare tactics convincing elderly that they are about to lose their Social Security and must send money for this organization to "protect" the Social Security benefits. Since her death, these request continue to come. We have requested (IN WRITING) that they remove her name from the mailing list. However, the mailings continue to come. This was an outrageously cruel thing to do to an elderly concerned person. It is now extremely harassing to her family to continue to receive these mailings. They arrive several times a week, and we are at loss as to how to get them stopped. This is extremely disturbing, as every time another request arrives, we are reminded of how terribly disturbing it must have been for her. The postage page envelopes are addressed to one: Dan Perrin, Executive Director of Seniors Center, PO Box 96692, Washington, DC, 20090. They claim to be a non-profit, but indicate that contributions are not tax deductible because they "lobby on behalf" of the persons who donate.<p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.citizensforethics.org/legal-filings/entry/crew-calls-on-fec-to-investigate-checks-and-balances-for-economic-growth">http://www.citizensforethics.org/legal-filings/entry/crew-calls-on-fec-to-investigate-checks-and-balances-for-economic-growth</a><p style="margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">--<p style="margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Checks and Balances for Economic Growth (CBEG), a nonprofit group with practically no public profile, gave CSS $420,965. During 2012 it ran <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr8VvfmlAleontsSJte72-w" class="external" style="line-height: 14.56px; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(19, 110, 162); outline: none;">online</a> <a href="http://www.citizensforethics.org/legal-filings/entry/crew-calls-on-fec-to-investigate-checks-and-balances-for-economic-growth" style="line-height: 14.56px; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(19, 110, 162); outline: none;">advertisements</a> attacking President Obama and Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) featuring <a href="http://www.politico.com/tipsheets/morning-energy/2012/10/debate-night-waxman-challenger-bankrolls-millions-to-his-own-campaign-wind-pac-aims-money-at-pro-ptc-lawmakers-ad-on-coal-ad-spawns-third-ad-lcv-goes-after-lawmakers-with-billboards-007732" class="external" style="line-height: 14.56px; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(19, 110, 162); outline: none;">miners</a> from Murray Energy Corporation, a coal company, at a <a href="http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2012/08/coal_miners_lost_pay_when_mitt.html" class="external" style="line-height: 14.56px; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(19, 110, 162); outline: none;">Mitt Romney rally</a>. That same year it also spent <a href="http://www.citizensforethics.org/legal-filings/entry/crew-calls-on-fec-to-investigate-checks-and-balances-for-economic-growth" style="line-height: 14.56px; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(19, 110, 162); outline: none;">hundreds of thousands</a> of dollars on television ads in Ohio decrying “<a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2012/10/its-miner-versus-miner-in-ohio-coal-war-ads-082542" class="external" style="line-height: 14.56px; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(19, 110, 162); outline: none;">the war on coal</a>.” Since the group doesn’t disclose its donors, it is unknown whether Murray Energy, or other coal companies, funded them.<p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">
<p style="margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.citizensforethics.org/page/-/PDFs/Legal/Letters/FEC/4_03_13_FEC_Complaint_Checks_and_Balances_for_Economic_Growth.pdf?nocdn=1" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">http://www.citizensforethics.org/page/-/PDFs/Legal/Letters/FEC/4_03_13_FEC_Complaint_Checks_and_Balances_for_Economic_Growth.pdf?nocdn=1</a><div id="entry-date" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Apr 03, 2013</div><div id="entry-date" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
</div><div id="entry-date" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">top 25 spenders 900 on 900 plus ads</div><div id="entry-date" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> busted in davis hit see pdf</div><h1 class="f-replace-bold" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; font-weight: normal;"><cufon class="cufon cufon-canvas" alt="CREW " style="width: 87px; height: 25px; display: inline-block !important; position: relative !important; vertical-align: middle !important; line-height: 1px !important;"><canvas width="107" height="24" style="position: relative !important; width: 107px; height: 24px; top: -1px; left: 0px;"><cufontext style="display: inline-block !important; width: 0px !important; height: 0px !important; overflow: hidden !important; text-indent: -10000in !important;" /></canvas></cufon><cufon class="cufon cufon-canvas" alt="Calls " style="width: 72px; height: 25px; display: inline-block !important; position: relative !important; vertical-align: middle !important; line-height: 1px !important;"><canvas width="92" height="24" style="position: relative !important; width: 92px; height: 24px; top: -1px; left: 0px;"><cufontext style="display: inline-block !important; width: 0px !important; height: 0px !important; overflow: hidden !important; text-indent: -10000in !important;" /></canvas></cufon><cufon class="cufon cufon-canvas" alt="on " style="width: 37px; height: 25px; display: inline-block !important; position: relative !important; vertical-align: middle !important; line-height: 1px !important;"><canvas width="57" height="24" style="position: relative !important; width: 57px; height: 24px; top: -1px; left: 0px;"><cufontext style="display: inline-block !important; width: 0px !important; height: 0px !important; overflow: hidden !important; text-indent: -10000in !important;" /></canvas></cufon><cufon class="cufon cufon-canvas" alt="FEC " style="width: 60px; height: 25px; display: inline-block !important; position: relative !important; vertical-align: middle !important; line-height: 1px !important;"><canvas width="79" height="24" style="position: relative !important; width: 79px; height: 24px; top: -1px; left: 0px;"><cufontext style="display: inline-block !important; width: 0px !important; height: 0px !important; overflow: hidden !important; text-indent: -10000in !important;" /></canvas></cufon><cufon class="cufon cufon-canvas" alt="to " style="width: 30px; height: 25px; display: inline-block !important; position: relative !important; vertical-align: middle !important; line-height: 1px !important;"><canvas width="50" height="24" style="position: relative !important; width: 50px; height: 24px; top: -1px; left: 0px;"><cufontext style="display: inline-block !important; width: 0px !important; height: 0px !important; overflow: hidden !important; text-indent: -10000in !important;" /></canvas></cufon><cufon class="cufon cufon-canvas" alt="Investigate " style="width: 146px; height: 25px; display: inline-block !important; position: relative !important; vertical-align: middle !important; line-height: 1px !important;"><canvas width="165" height="24" style="position: relative !important; width: 165px; height: 24px; top: -1px; left: 0px;"><cufontext style="display: inline-block !important; width: 0px !important; height: 0px !important; overflow: hidden !important; text-indent: -10000in !important;" /></canvas></cufon><cufon class="cufon cufon-canvas" alt="Checks " style="width: 100px; height: 25px; display: inline-block !important; position: relative !important; vertical-align: middle !important; line-height: 1px !important;"><canvas width="120" height="24" style="position: relative !important; width: 120px; height: 24px; top: -1px; left: 0px;"><cufontext style="display: inline-block !important; width: 0px !important; height: 0px !important; overflow: hidden !important; text-indent: -10000in !important;" /></canvas></cufon><cufon class="cufon cufon-canvas" alt="and " style="width: 53px; height: 25px; display: inline-block !important; position: relative !important; vertical-align: middle !important; line-height: 1px !important;"><canvas width="73" height="24" style="position: relative !important; width: 73px; height: 24px; top: -1px; left: 0px;"><cufontext style="display: inline-block !important; width: 0px !important; height: 0px !important; overflow: hidden !important; text-indent: -10000in !important;" /></canvas></cufon><cufon class="cufon cufon-canvas" alt="Balances " style="width: 120px; height: 25px; display: inline-block !important; position: relative !important; vertical-align: middle !important; line-height: 1px !important;"><canvas width="140" height="24" style="position: relative !important; width: 140px; height: 24px; top: -1px; left: 0px;"><cufontext style="display: inline-block !important; width: 0px !important; height: 0px !important; overflow: hidden !important; text-indent: -10000in !important;" /></canvas></cufon><cufon class="cufon cufon-canvas" alt="for " style="width: 42px; height: 25px; display: inline-block !important; position: relative !important; vertical-align: middle !important; line-height: 1px !important;"><canvas width="61" height="24" style="position: relative !important; width: 61px; height: 24px; top: -1px; left: 0px;"><cufontext style="display: inline-block !important; width: 0px !important; height: 0px !important; overflow: hidden !important; text-indent: -10000in !important;" /></canvas></cufon><cufon class="cufon cufon-canvas" alt="Economic " style="width: 131px; height: 25px; display: inline-block !important; position: relative !important; vertical-align: middle !important; line-height: 1px !important;"><canvas width="151" height="24" style="position: relative !important; width: 151px; height: 24px; top: -1px; left: 0px;"><cufontext style="display: inline-block !important; width: 0px !important; height: 0px !important; overflow: hidden !important; text-indent: -10000in !important;" /></canvas></cufon><cufon class="cufon cufon-canvas" alt="Growth" style="width: 92px; height: 25px; display: inline-block !important; position: relative !important; vertical-align: middle !important; line-height: 1px !important;"><canvas width="103" height="24" style="position: relative !important; width: 103px; height: 24px; top: -1px; left: 0px;"><cufontext style="display: inline-block !important; width: 0px !important; height: 0px !important; overflow: hidden !important; text-indent: -10000in !important;" /></canvas></cufon></h1><div id="category-placer" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.citizensforethics.org/pages/category-results/c/fec-complaints2" style="text-decoration: none; outline: none;">FEC Complaints</a>, <a href="http://www.citizensforethics.org/pages/category-results/c/irs-complaints2" style="text-decoration: none; outline: none;">IRS Complaints</a>, <a href="http://www.citizensforethics.org/pages/category-results/c/501c-groups" style="text-decoration: none; outline: none;">501c Groups</a>, <a href="http://www.citizensforethics.org/pages/category-results/c/advertisements" style="text-decoration: none; outline: none;">Advertisements</a>, <a href="http://www.citizensforethics.org/pages/category-results/c/campaign-finance-reform" style="text-decoration: none; outline: none;">Campaign Finance Reform</a>, <a href="http://www.citizensforethics.org/pages/category-results/c/elections" style="text-decoration: none; outline: none;">Elections</a>, <a href="http://www.citizensforethics.org/pages/category-results/c/federal-agencies" style="text-decoration: none; outline: none;">Federal Agencies</a>, <a href="http://www.citizensforethics.org/pages/category-results/c/department-of-the-treasury" style="text-decoration: none; outline: none;">Department of the Treasury</a>, <a href="http://www.citizensforethics.org/pages/category-results/c/internal-revenue-service" style="text-decoration: none; outline: none;">Internal Revenue Service (IRS)</a>, <a href="http://www.citizensforethics.org/pages/category-results/c/federal-election-commission-fec" style="text-decoration: none; outline: none;">Federal Election Commission (FEC)</a>, <a href="http://www.citizensforethics.org/pages/category-results/c/legal" style="text-decoration: none; outline: none;">Legal</a>, <a href="http://www.citizensforethics.org/pages/category-results/c/fec-complaints" style="text-decoration: none; outline: none;">FEC Complaints</a>, <a href="http://www.citizensforethics.org/pages/category-results/c/irs-complaints" style="text-decoration: none; outline: none;">IRS Complaints</a>, <a href="http://www.citizensforethics.org/pages/category-results/c/organizations" style="text-decoration: none; outline: none;">Organizations</a>, <a href="http://www.citizensforethics.org/pages/category-results/c/checks-and-balances-for-economic-growth" style="text-decoration: none; outline: none;">Checks and Balances for Economic Growth</a>, <a href="http://www.citizensforethics.org/pages/category-results/c/states" style="text-decoration: none; outline: none;">States</a>, <a href="http://www.citizensforethics.org/pages/category-results/c/ohio" style="text-decoration: none; outline: none;">Ohio</a>, <a href="http://www.citizensforethics.org/pages/category-results/c/press-releases" style="text-decoration: none; outline: none;">Press Releases</a>, <a href="http://www.citizensforethics.org/pages/category-results/c/dan-perrin" style="text-decoration: none; outline: none;">Dan Perrin</a></div>Washington, D.C. — Today, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) called on the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to investigate whether Checks and Balances for Economic Growth (CBEG) violated campaign finance laws.  The group, headed by Dan Perrin, spent at least $896,290 in October 2012 to run two political advertisements in Ohio attacking President Obama and Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) just before the election, but failed to file any of the required disclosure reports with the FEC for the ads.<a href="http://www.citizensforethics.org/page/-/PDFs/Legal/Letters/FEC/4_03_13_FEC_Complaint_Checks_and_Balances_for_Economic_Growth.pdf?nocdn=1" title="4-3-13 FEC Complaint Against Checks and Balances for Economic Growth" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; outline: none; padding-left: 15px; background-image: url(http://www.citizensforethics.org/page/-/images/small_pdf_icon.gif); background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: no-repeat;">Read CREW's complaint to the FEC</a>“CBEG spent close to a million dollars trying to defeat Democratic candidates, yet thinks it can completely ignore the law,” said CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan.  “This isn’t the wild, wild west.  While the FEC has been asleep at the switch in monitoring our elections, it should have little trouble punishing CBEG’s ‘anything goes’ approach to following the law.”Both of the advertisements featured miners from Murray Energy Corporation denying they were forced to attend a rally for Mitt Romney.  One ad said Sen. Brown and President Obama are conducting a “war on coal” and are “job killers,” while the other asked why President Obama would lie about the rally.Under federal law, groups that spend more than $10,000 on independent expenditures or electioneering communications — ads that mention a candidate by name close to an election —must promptly disclose their spending to the FEC.  Despite spending heavily on the ads, CBEG failed to file any reports with the FEC.  By deliberately failing to comply with the reporting requirements, CBEG may be subject to criminal penalties as well as fines.CREW also filed a complaint today asking the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to investigate several other groups Mr. Perrin has headed whose tax-exempt status the IRS revoked in 2010.  One, the HSA Coalition, has continued to represent itself as a section 501(c)(6) business association despite the IRS’s action, even filing a brief with the Supreme Court in 2012 claiming to be tax-exempt.  In addition, the HSA Coalition, the American Taxpayer Alliance (ATA), and the Common Sense Coalition (CSC) may have intentionally failed to file tax returns.<a href="http://www.citizensforethics.org/page/-/PDFs/Legal/Letters/IRS/4_03_13_IRS_Complaint_Checks_and_Balances_for_Economic_Growth.pdf?nocdn=1" title="4-3-13 IRS Complaint Against Checks and Balances for Economic Growth" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; outline: none; padding-left: 15px; background-image: url(http://www.citizensforethics.org/page/-/images/small_pdf_icon.gif); background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: no-repeat;">Read CREW's complaint to the IRS</a>“If Mr. Perrin’s track record with tax-exempt groups is any indicator of the future, the IRS and the American public should be worried about what happens to CBEG,” continued Ms. Sloan.  “As we get further away from Election Day, it would not be surprising if more of these dark money ‘pop-up PACs’ decide it is better to disappear rather than face legal consequences.”<div id="extra-links" style="line-height: normal; margin: 20px 0px 30px; padding: 10px 10px 5px; border: 1px dashed rgb(221, 221, 221); border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><a href="http://www.citizensforethics.org/page/-/PDFs/Legal/Letters/FEC/4_03_13_FEC_Complaint_Checks_and_Balances_for_Economic_Growth.pdf?nocdn=1" title="4-3-13 FEC Complaint Against Checks and Balances for Economic Growth" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; outline: none; padding-left: 15px; background-image: url(http://www.citizensforethics.org/page/-/images/small_pdf_icon.gif); background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: no-repeat;">Read CREW's complaint to the FEC</a><ul style="margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 20px;"><li style="margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 5px; list-style: square;"><a href="http://www.citizensforethics.org/page/-/PDFs/Legal/Letters/FEC/4-10-13_FEC_MUR_6729.pdf?nocdn=1" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; outline: none; padding-left: 15px; background-image: url(http://www.citizensforethics.org/page/-/images/small_pdf_icon.gif); background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: no-repeat;">Read the response from the FEC (MUR 6729)</a> [4-10-13]</li></ul><a href="http://www.citizensforethics.org/page/-/PDFs/Legal/Letters/IRS/4_03_13_IRS_Complaint_Checks_and_Balances_for_Economic_Growth.pdf?nocdn=1" title="4-3-13 IRS Complaint Against Checks and Balances for Economic Growth" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; outline: none; padding-left: 15px; background-image: url(http://www.citizensforethics.org/page/-/images/small_pdf_icon.gif); background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: no-repeat;">Read CREW's complaint to the IRS</a></div><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">mojoTelevision ads will remain the dominant tool for winning hearts and minds, digital consultants say, but the utility of online outreach is that it can pinpoint and analyze who's seeing and clicking on what. And campaigns can microtarget potential supporters with more precision than ever before. "Everyone is spending money on Facebook," Grisolano notes. "They give you all kinds of ways to target advertisements. If, say, I want to advertise to people who show an interest in something specific, like people who are looking to buy a Volvo, I can do that."Often, online ads are enticements to visit the website of a candidate, super-PAC, or dark-money group, where users are asked to provide their names and contact information. Tracking how you arrived at the website can give these outfits detailed background on your online behavior, interests, and motivations, which in turn can be used to solicit support or money.
The Federal Election Commission's last major overhaul of political advertising rules was in 2002. And that rewrite was completed long before anyone pondered the possibility of things like YouTube, much less Snapchat (which several candidates, including Paul and Jeb Bush, have incorporated into their campaigns). Currently, the commission does not have the ability to scrutinize how a campaign or any other group spends its money online. "It's not clear to me that the FEC has much of a watchdog role in terms of digital spending," says Bob Biersack, a senior fellow at the Center for Responsive Politics who worked at the commission for 30 years. (I previously worked at CRP.) "Without some kind of statutory reason to care, the FEC isn't going to force candidates to be too specific about their strategic behavior."Yet while political advertisers will know a lot about you, you may know very little about them. Due to paralyzed federal watchdogs and antiquated campaign finance rules that didn't anticipate the explosion of digital politicking, there is virtually no oversight of online ads. When it comes to old-fashioned print and TV political ads, the <a href="http://www.fec.gov/press/bkgnd/bcra_overview.shtml" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">rules are simple</a>: The candidate or organization paying for them must be disclosed. With online ads, there's a major loophole: A disclaimer is required only if someone pays to place an ad on a website. No disclosure is required for material that is posted on a campaign site nor for videos or images that can be distributed freely via social media. In other words, an attack ad can find its way onto YouTube or get retweeted or liked a million times without anyone knowing who made it. And so-called issue ads—spots that praise or slam a candidate without explicitly telling you how to vote—are not required to carry a disclaimer of any kind, no matter where they run online. That means a dark-money group can plaster the web with content, true or false, that is devastating to a particular candidate without having to claim responsibility for it.Last fall, the FEC had an opportunity to update its rules when it took up a case involving a dark-money group called Checks and Balances for Economic Growth. During the 2012 election, this outfit created <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgPkQYc0O5k" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">two</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oE1O38-IIE" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">video</a> ads attacking Obama's coal policies but never reported any spending related to the creation of these clips, which were posted on YouTube. Instead of clarifying the rules, the FEC, which includes three Democratic commissioners and three Republican ones, may have ended up making the matter even murkier. The commission deadlocked on the question of whether to mount a full-scale probe to determine if the group violated election rules. The three Republican commissioners agreed with Checks and Balances that a YouTube video should not be regulated as paid political advertising—then used the case to stoke fears that the Democratic commissioners wanted to censor blogs, parody videos, perhaps even the Drudge Report.Early this year, Republican FEC Commissioner Lee Goodman penned a <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/lee-e-goodman-online-political-opinions-dont-need-regulating-1420155421" target="_blank" style="text-decoration: none; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Wall Street Journal op-ed</a> accusing his liberal colleagues of seeking to clamp down on harmless grassroots political expression. "Free and low-cost Internet postings are not corrupting because no large expenditures of money are necessary," he argued. He also claimed there is no way to distinguish online political discourse from paid messaging. "The specter of government agents reviewing the thousands of daily online political posts is as impractical as it is ominous," he wrote.Democratic FEC Commissioner Ellen Weintraub says her Republican colleagues are blocking regulations for digital political ads because they oppose the commission expanding campaign finance rules under any circumstances. "One of the reasons why people like Lee Goodman are so adamant about internet freedom is because basically the wave of the future is going to be a lot more online campaign advertising," she says. "And it will effectively be going underground in terms of getting any kind of regulation."<p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">National Drug Safety League, The Fund For Personal Liberty, American Childrens Safety Source, National Drug Amp Safety League Inc, National Drug Safety League Inc, National Drug Safety League, United Childrens Fund, Freedomworks Inc, Concerned Women For America, Cure Autism Now, White House Historical Association, Institute For Science And Politics Inc, Employment Policies Institute Foundation, The Philanthropy Roundtable, The Admiral Nimitz Foundation, Free Nations United, Homes For Our Troops Inc, Armed Forces Foundation, Eagles Memorial Foundation Inc, The Fraternal Order Of Eagles Foundation, Nova Foundation Inc, The International Academy Of Collaborative Professionals, Internal Auditing Academic Advancement Fund Inc, Center For Union Facts, The Atlas Economic Research Foundation, Nonprofitsherpaorg, Help Wounded Heroes, The Orangutan Conservancy, Enterprise Freedom Action Committee, Braille Institute Of America Inc, Society Of Toxicology, Veterans Airlift Command Foundation, Susan B Anthony List Inc, The Robert B Carleson Eagle Fund, The Jeffersonian Foundation Incorporated, Impact Player Partners Inc, Checks And Balances For Economic Growth, Patton Museum Foundation Inc, National Organization For Marriage Education Fund, Habitat For Horses Inc, Aul Action Nfp, Veterans Airlift Command, Operation Care Package Inc, National Drug Safety League, United Childrens Fund, Silver Moon LLC, National Drug Safety League, American Childrens Safety Source Inc, American Childrens Safety Source Inc, Southern California Chapter Of Corenet Global Inc, and Northern California Chapter Of Corenet Global Inc.<p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">==</div></div>