CREW, et al. v. FEC (22-0035)

On January 6, 2022, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia challenging the Commission’s dismissal of its administrative complaint against Freedom Vote, Inc. (Freedom Vote).

CREW’s administrative complaint alleged Freedom Vote failed to comply with the disclosure requirements the Federal Election Campaign Act (the Act) places on political committees. The complaint alleged Freedom Vote qualified as a political committee, but failed to register and file required disclosure reports.

On July 25, 2019, the Commission found reason to believe that Freedom Vote failed to organize, register, and report as a political committee and that it failed to include a disclaimer on a television advertisement, and the Commission commenced an investigation. On November 9, 2021, the Commission closed the file.

The suit seeks injunctive and declaratory relief under the Act. CREW asks the court to declare the FEC’s dismissal of CREW’s complaint as arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, and contrary to law, and to order the Commission to conform with that declaration within 30 days.

Source: FEC Record — January 2022

District Court (DC)

Court decisions:

• Minute Order (10/30/2023)
• Default (03/29/2022)

Related documents:

• Plaintiff Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington's Reply in Support of the Motion to Compel Production (02/09/2024)
• Federal Election Commission's Opposition to Plaintiff's Motion to Compel (01/22/2024)
• Certification (01/10/2024)
• Certification (11/09/2023)
• Plaintiff Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington's Notice of the Federal Election Commission's Failure to Oppose (07/20/2022)
• Certification (02/18/2022)
• Complaint for Injunctive and Declaratory Relief (01/06/2022)