ELECTIONSPreview
Open in TheBrain

CHARLES SPIES

Charlie Spies has been providing strategic political law counsel at the highest levels in Washington D.C. and globally for over two decades. Along with advising corporate and trade association clients on federal and state election law and non-profit organization compliance, he has represented multiple Presidential candidates, US Senators, Governors, the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, the House Majority Leader, and the RNC, NRSC, NRCC, RGA, and RAGA on strategic campaign finance, ethics, and First Amendment & political litigation matters. He guides clients through the variety of challenges that arise when politics, the government, law, and public policy meet, and was honored by the RNLA as the Republican Lawyer of the Year in 2023. He is consistentlylisted as a top national political law attorney in Chambers USA, Best Lawyers in America for Government Relations, Washington Super Lawyer, Washingtonian Top Lawyer, and was also on the Politico 50 list of “Thinkers, Doers and Visionaries Transforming American Politics.”

Charlie worked as Counsel to the Chairman of the Federal Election Commission, and before moving to global law firms he spent almost a decade working within national political organizations and campaigns, ranging from serving as election law counsel to the Republican National Committee to working as Chief Financial Officer and Counsel for a Presidential campaign, where he developed and managed the national campaign’s budget and systems for legal compliance with the Federal Election Commission, IRS, and various state regulations. Using his experience in the political sphere, Charles co-founded and served as counsel to Restore Our Future, the largest conservative super PAC in history, and then Right to Rise USA in the 2016 election cycle.

Charles can be seen speaking on political and election law issues on a number of networks including Fox News, CNN, Fox Business Network, and various national and local television and radio programs. He’s also published numerous articles and commentaries on various legal issues in national journals and newspapers. He was a Fellow at and is now on the Board of the Georgetown University Institute of Politics and Public Service; has lectured at the U.S. Law Institute, Georgetown University Law Center, and the Benjamin Cardozo School of Law; spoken at Yale and the University of Chicago Institute of Politics; been featured on an ABA Administrative Law Division panel; testified before Joint Committees of Congress, the FEC, and state boards of election; and participated in working groups for the OAS Unit for the Promotion of Democracy.

Restore Our Future is a political action committee (PAC) created to support Mitt Romney in the 2012 U.S. Presidential election. A so-called Super PAC, Restore Our Future is permitted to raise and spend unlimited amounts of corporate, union, and individual campaign contributions under the terms of the Citizens United Supreme Court decision.[1]

Restore Our Future was founded by Romney aides in 2010.[2] Charles Spies, the group's treasurer and former general counsel for Romney's 2008 campaign for the Republican presidential nomination, described Restore Our Future as "an independent effort focused on getting Romney elected president."[1] The group reported raising over $12 million in the first half of 2011, in the form of large donations from approximately 90 wealthy individuals and corporations.[3] As of July 2012, Restore Our Future had raised more than $60 million,[4] nearly half from Wall Street contributors.[5] Spies declined to discuss specific contributors to the PAC.[6]

Contributors

As of July 2012, Restore Our Future had raised more than $60 million,[4] a large portion of which came from Wall Street contributors.[5]

As of August 2011, the largest individual contributor to Restore Our Future was John Paulson, a billionaire and hedge fund manager who is, according to Politico, "famous for [having enriched] himself by betting on the collapse of the housing industry."[3] An additional million dollars came from W Spann LLC, a dummy corporation with no record of actual business activities.[7] W Spann LLC was incorporated, donated to the PAC, and then dissolved in a matter of months,[8][9] attracting concern from election-watchdog groups and campaign-finance experts about the use of dummy corporations to shield large campaign contributions from public scrutiny.[7]

Several watchdog groups requested that the Justice Department and Federal Election Commission investigate donations to Restore Our Future from W Spann LLC as possible violations of campaign-finance law.[10] Restore Our Future declined to provide additional details about the donation and asserted that it had complied with existing laws.

In response to rumors, a spokesman for Bain Capital, a private equity firm previously headed by Romney, stated that W Spann LLC "is not affiliated with Bain Capital or any of our employees."[7] Shortly thereafter, Edward Conard, a former top executive at Bain Capital who retired in 2007, came forward to state that he had formed W Spann LLC and funded and authorized the $1 million contribution.[11] Conard requested that Restore Our Future amend its filings to reflect that he, rather than W Spann LLC, had donated the $1 million.[12][13]

Another entity, Paumanok Partners LLC, contributed $250,000 to Restore Our Future. It has been traced back to Romney donor William Laverack, Jr.[14] Glenbrook L.L.C. was originally reported as donating $250,000 in August 2011, but in an amended filing with the FEC the Glenbrook donation was replaced by two $125,000 donations by Jesse Rogers, a former executive at Bain & Company.[15]

Two additional $1 million contributions came from corporations registered to the offices of two executives of Nu Skin Enterprises, a Utah-based multilevel marketing company selling skin-care products and dietary supplements.[3] Other large contributors included members of the Marriott family, hedge-fund managers, and investors in Bain Capital.[3]

Several Affiliates of Melaleuca, Inc., an Idaho-based multilevel marketing[16] company owned by Frank L. VanderSloot, have donated a total of approx. $1 million to the PAC.[17] VanderSloot is also a national finance co-chairman of the Romney campaign.[18]

From federal contractors

Despite a 36-year-old ban against federal contractors making federal political expenditures, Restore Our Future has accepted donations of $890,000 from at least five such companies, who are taking advantage of a legal gray area created by the U.S. Supreme Court's 2010 ruling in Citizens United v. FEC. Oxbow Carbon, a major coal and petroleum company founded by William Koch that contracts with the Tennessee Valley Authority, gave $750,000, and has insisted such donations are now legal. Another company, M.C. Dean, a Virginia-based electrical engineering company, donated $5,000, but has asked the funds to be returned after consulting with lawyers. The other companies are: B/E Aerospace, a U.S. Department of Defense contractor, which gave $50,000; Clinical Medical Services, which contracts with the Department of Veterans Affairs, donated $25,000; and Suffolk Construction Co., which is building a U.S. Naval base, donated $60,000.[19]

Iowa ad

In December 2011, Glenn Kessler of the Washington Post found that a Restore ad attacking Newt Gingrich in Iowa had a number of "egregious fouls" and "underhanded" treatment of Freddie Mac and abortion issues. The PAC had $3 million budgeted for the Iowa television campaign. Brittany Gross, a Restore spokesperson, declined to answer questions from Kessler about the ad.[20]

Board and staffing

Restore’s board of directors included treasurer Spies; Carl Forti, political director for Governor Romney’s 2008 campaign and of American Crossroads Super PAC; and Larry McCarthy, a member of Governor Romney's media team in 2008.[1]

Don Stirling, who was the 2002 Utah Olympics' local marketing chief and fundraiser working with Romney, worked with Restore Our Future during Governor Romney's 2012 presidential campaign.[21]

References

  1. ^ Jump up to:^a ^b ^c Eggen, Dan; Cillizza, Chris (June 23, 2011). "Romney backers launch 'super PAC' to raise and spend unlimited amounts". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  2. Mason, Melanie (July 5, 2011). "Pro-Romney 'super PAC' reports $12-million haul". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  3. ^ Jump up to:^a ^b ^c ^d Martin, Jonathan; Vogel, Kenneth P. (July 31, 2011). "PAC brings in $12.2 million for Mitt". Politico. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  4. ^ Jump up to:^a ^b http://buyingyourfuture.org Archived 2016-10-14 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ Jump up to:^a ^b Confessore, Nicholas (May 2, 2012). "Obama's Not-So-Hot Date With Wall Street". The New York Times. Retrieved May 3, 2012.
  6. Schouten, Fredreka (August 4, 2011). "Dozen donors spend big on '12 races". USA Today. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  7. ^ Jump up to:^a ^b ^c Eggen, Dan (August 4, 2011). "Mystery firm's $1M donation to pro-Romney PAC raises concern over transparency". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
  8. Isikoff, Michael. "Firm gives $1 million to pro-Romney group, then dissolves". msnbc.com. Archived from the original on August 7, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  9. Confessore, Nicholas (August 4, 2011). "Donation to Romney-Tied Group Draws Scrutiny". The New York Times. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  10. O'Toole, Molly (August 5, 2011). "Watchdogs seek source of money to Romney backer". Reuters. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
  11. Gillum, Jack (August 6, 2011). "Mysterious donor to pro-Romney PAC identified". Associated Press. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
  12. Burton, Alexander (August 6, 2011). "Mystery Romney backer reveals himself". The Hill. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
  13. Haberman, Maggie (August 5, 2011). "Mystery Mitt Romney donor comes forward". Politico. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
  14. Luo, Michael (February 3, 2012). "THE CAUCUS; A Likely Name For a Mystery Donor". The New York Times. Retrieved February 14, 2012.
  15. Luo, Michael (February 7, 2012). "A Secret Donor Revealed". The New York Times. Retrieved February 14, 2012.
  16. Berman, Phyllis. "Forbes.com If You Believe". Forbes.com.
  17. Mencimer, Stephanie. "Pyramid-Like Company Ponies Up $1 Million for Mitt Romney". Mother Jones. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  18. Confessore, Nicholas (January 31, 2012). "G.O.P. Donors Showing Thirst to Oust Obama in November". The New York Times. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  19. Duncan, Ian; Matea Gold (March 18, 2012). "Federal contractors donate to 'super PAC' backing Romney". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 20, 2012.
  20. Kessler, Glenn (December 21, 2011). "Romney versus Gingrich: a Super PAC's over-the-top ad". Washington Post Fact Checker blog. Retrieved December 21, 2011.
  21. Rutenberg, Jim (July 16, 2012). "Mormons' First Families Rally Behind Romney". The New York Times. Retrieved July 17, 2012.

Citizens United is a conservative 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization in the United States founded in 1988. In 2010, the organization won a U.S. Supreme Court case known as Citizens United v. FEC, which struck down as unconstitutional a federal law prohibiting corporations and unions from making expenditures in connection with federal elections. The organization's president and chairman is David Bossie.[1]

Overview

Citizens United's stated mission is to restore the United States government to "citizens' control, through a combination of education, advocacy, and grass-roots organization" seeking to "reassert the traditional American values of limited government, freedom of enterprise, strong families, and national sovereignty and security."[2] Citizens United is a conservative political advocacy group organized under Section 501(c)4 of the federal tax code, meaning that donations are not tax deductible. To fulfill this mission, Citizens United produces television commercials, web advertisements, and documentary films.[3] CU films have won film festival awards, including Perfect Valor (Best Documentary at the GI Film Festival) and Ronald Reagan: Rendezvous with Destiny (Remi Award at Houston Worldfest International Festival).[citation ^needed]

David Bossie has been its president since 2000. In 2016 he took a leave of absence to be deputy campaign manager of Donald Trump's campaign for President of the United States.[4] Its offices are on Pennsylvania Avenue in the Capitol Hill area of Washington, D.C.

Current leadership

The current president, David Bossie, has been president since he served as the chief investigator into then President Bill Clinton's possible abuse of finances in 1997, and was later the deputy campaign manager for Donald Trump's presidential campaign in 2016. In 2020, he served in executive positions for President Donald Trump's and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's reelection campaigns.[2]

History

The political action committee Citizens United was founded in 1988 by Floyd Brown, a longtime Washington political consultant. The group promotes free enterprise, socially conservative causes and candidates who advance their mission.

Positions and advocacy

Citizens United is known for its support of conservatives in politics. The group produced a television advertisement that reveals several legislative actions taken by John McCain, which aired on Fox News Channel.[5] On October 2, 2006, in reaction to revelations of a cover-up of inappropriate communications between Republican Congressman Mark Foley and House pages, Citizens United president David Bossie called on Dennis Hastert to resign over his role in covering up the scandal.[6]

The group sued and lost a case against New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman over Schneiderman's demand that it disclose all its donors.[7]

In 1999, Citizens United wrote and funded a VHS tape produced by The Strategy Group on the Clinton administration's relationship with Chinese businessmen called The Truth Revealed... Confidential Report: Bill Clinton, Al Gore and the Communist Chinese Connection". It is written and hosted by then company president, Floyd G. Brown.[8]

Citizens United campaigned against Michael Moore's 2004 film Fahrenheit 9/11, advocating for government limits on how much advertising the film received.[9] It also made advertisements attacking the film,[10] and when the Federal Election Commission held that Moore's film was not a violation of the Federal Election Campaign Act, produced its own rebuttal film called Celsius 41.11.[11] However, the FEC held that paying to air Celsius 41.11 would constitute an illegal corporate campaign expenditure.[12]

In 2008, Citizens United produced a documentary film highly critical of Hillary Clinton called Hillary: The Movie.[13] Fearing prosecution from the FEC, the organization sought a declaratory judgment in federal court to assure their right to show the movie, leading ultimately to the Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. It previously produced and screened advertisements attacking other Democrats, including Bill Clinton,[9] John Kerry,[14] and Al Gore.[13] In the 1988 US presidential election, Citizens United ran an ad that used Willie Horton to attack Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis.

The group has produced a film criticizing the United Nations.[11]

Trump administration

In 2016, the Donald Trump presidential campaign enlisted Citizens United President David Bossie as deputy campaign manager.[15] During the campaign, Bossie made regular television appearances on behalf of the Trump campaign.[16] Bossie is a close friend and longtime acquaintance of Trump administration officials Steve Bannon and Kellyanne Conway,[17] having introduced Bannon to Trump in 2011.[18]

Documentaries

Citizens United has released 25 documentaries including:

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission

Main article: Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission

Citizens United was the plaintiff in a Supreme Court case that began as a challenge to various statutory provisions of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA), known as the "McCain-Feingold" law. The case revolved around the documentary Hillary: The Movie, which was produced by Citizens United. Under the McCain-Feingold law, a federal court in Washington, D.C., ruled that Citizens United would be barred from advertising its film.[19] The case (08-205, 558 U.S. 50 (2010)) was heard in the United States Supreme Court on March 24, 2009. During oral argument, the government argued that under existing precedents, it had the power under the Constitution to prohibit the publication of books and movies if they were made or sold by corporations.[20] After that hearing, the Court requested re-argument specifically to address whether deciding the case required the Court to reconsider those earlier decisions in Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce and McConnell v. FEC. The case was re-argued on September 9. On January 21, 2010, the Supreme Court overturned the provision of McCain-Feingold barring corporations and unions from paying for political ads made independently of candidate campaigns.[21] A dissenting opinion by Justice Stevens[22] was joined by Justice Ginsburg, Justice Breyer, and Justice Sotomayor.

Funding

Citizens United has accepted funding from The Presidential Coalition, LLC[23] (which according to their website is "An Affiliate Of Citizens United")[24] and the Koch brothers.[25]

References

  1. "Frequently Asked Questions". Citizens United. Retrieved May 24, 2016.
  2. ^ Jump up to:^a ^b Who We Are, CitizensUnited.org
  3. "Fulfilling Our Mission". CitizensUnited.org.
  4. Ehrhardt, Rainier (September 2, 2016). "Donald Trump campaign hires Citizens United president David Bossie known for historic 2010 Supreme Court ruling that deregulated political spending". Daily News. AP.
  5. Citizens United Against McCain, January 31, 2008. Archived November 10, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  6. Conservative Activists Call on Hastert To Res, ThinkProgress, October 2, 2006.
  7. Stempel, Jonathan (July 27, 2015). "Citizens United loses New York ruling over donors". Reuters. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
  8. *Citizens United's The Truth Revealed... Confidential Report (1999)*, retrieved September 30, 2022
  9. ^ Jump up to:^a ^b Peter Overby (Twitter) (June 28, 2004). "Are 'Fahrenheit 9/11' Ads Campaign Spots?". NPR. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
  10. "Entertainment | US groups want Moore film banned". BBC News. June 18, 2004. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
  11. ^ Jump up to:^a ^b "United Nations Faces New Challenges". Fox News. March 25, 2015. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
  12. "Context of 'September 8, 2004: FEC Denies Citizens United Request to Show Partisan Documentary on Television before Presidential Elections'". www.historycommons.org. Archived from the original on August 4, 2019. Retrieved October 4, 2017.
  13. ^ Jump up to:^a ^b Stephanie Mencimer (January 13, 2008). "Hillary's Hero: Judge Royce Lamberth". Mother Jones. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
  14. "CNN.com – New ads call Kerry 'rich liberal elitist' – Mar 8, 2004". Edition.cnn.com. March 8, 2004. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
  15. Costa, Robert (September 1, 2016). "Trump enlists veteran operative David Bossie as deputy campaign manager". Washington Post. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  16. Kaplan, Alex (September 28, 2016). "Trump Is Trying To Divert The Media From His Disastrous Debate, And CNN Just Admitted It's Working". MediaMatters. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  17. Benen, Steven (September 2, 2016). "Citizens United chief takes leadership role on Team Trump". MSNBC. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  18. Benac, Nancy; Colvin, Jill (February 1, 2017). "Little heard in public, Bannon is quiet power in Oval Office". Associated Press. Washington. Archived from the original on February 1, 2017. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  19. Barnes, Robert (March 14, 2009). "'Hillary: The Movie' to Get Supreme Court Screening". The Washington Post. p. A5.
  20. "The Myth of Campaign Finance Reform". National Affairs. 2010.
  21. Liptak, Adam (January 21, 2010). "Justices, 5-4, Reject Corporate Spending Limit". The New York Times. Associated Press. Retrieved October 15, 2015.
  22. Stevens opinion at ibid.
  23. "The Presidential Coalition, LLC "527" Political Organization". Campaignmoney.com. Archived from the original on April 22, 2019.
  24. "About Us: Farm Team". The Presidential Coalition.
  25. Ashbrook, Tom. "'Citizens United' And The Koch Brothers". WBUR.

Attachments