CREW v. FEC alleges failure to act on complaint (19-2753)

On September 16, 2019, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (“CREW”) and Noah Bookbinder (collectively “plaintiffs”) filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia alleging that the Commission failed to act on their administrative complaints.

Background

According to the court complaint, the plaintiffs’ administrative complaints alleged that SEALs for Truth and its treasurer Nicholas Britt, American Policy Coalition, Inc., LG PAC and its treasurer, Richard Monsees, Freedom Frontier and Unknown Respondents (collectively, “respondents”) violated the Federal Election Campaign Act by engaging in a scheme to conceal the identity of donors to a nonfederal campaign. The administrative complaints alleged that the respondents solicited unlimited and undisclosed donations using 501(c)(4) nonprofit organizations, then funneled that money to two federal Super PACs to use to support the 2016 election campaign of Eric Greitens for Governor of Missouri. Plaintiffs allege the Commission failed to act in a timely manner on their administrative complaints.

The plaintiffs ask the court to declare the Commission’s alleged failure to act on the administrative complaints contrary to law and to order that the Commission act within 30 days.

Resources

• CREW v. FEC (19-2753) litigation page