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Subscribe to RSS*** UPDATED AT 1:15 PM WITH COMMENT FROM PRIORITIES USA ***
A top campaign watchdog group today is calling for a Justice Department criminal investigation into Super PACs supporting President Obama and GOP front runner Mitt Romney.
Fred Wertheimer, president of Democracy 21, a group sharply critical of Super PACs, said Priorities USA Action, the Obama Super PAC, and Restore Our Future, a similar group backing Romney, are both "illegal operations" because of their close ties to the candidates they are backing.
In the wake of reports that the White House has signed off on plans to urge wealthy donors to contribute to the group, Wertheimer said he is writing a letter to the Justice Department today urging criminal probes of both groups.
"In order to believe that the Super PACs supporting President Obama and Mitt Romney are 'independent' from the presidential campaigns they are supporting, you must believe in the tooth fairy," Wertheimer said.
Bill Burton, Obama's former deputy press secretary and 2008 campaign spokesman, set up Priorities USA Action last year along with another former Obama political aide, Sean Sweeney. Burton did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Restore Our Future, which has spent millions in the GOP primary so far, was set up by former Romney aides Charlie Spies, who was Romney’s general counsel during his 2008 bid, and Carl Forti, who was Romney’s political director. Forti is also the political director for American Crossroads.
The White House plan to steer wealthy donors to give money to Priorities USA Action was disclosed in a blog posting on the Obama campaign website, saying that the move was needed to "neutralize the avalanche of special interest spending" being mounted on the GOP side to defeat President Obama.
"The stakes are too important to play by two different sets of rules," Jim Messina, Obama's campaign manager wrote.
The New York Times reported that the White House plans to dispatch top officials, including senior advisers David Plouffe and Valerie Jarrett to meet with donors. Romney himself has appeared at Restore Our Future fundraisers, something he defended on MSNBC’s The Daily Rundown, saying he’d acted within the law.
“They can help in terms of fundraising, but cannot in any way communicate a course of advertising, suggest when ads run, where they run, what's in the content of the ads,” Romney said of candidates and campaigns and whether or how much they can coordinate with Super PACs supporting them. “Those are things that are prohibited so we're being very careful in that regard.”
A top strategist who works with Democratic Super PACs told NBC News that the White House decision came after mounting worries within party circles that spending by a phalanx of GOP Super PACs could reach $1 billion by election day -- including $100 million from the conservative oil magnate Koch brothers -- drowning out the president's message
"When you see numbers like that, it starts getting a little spooky," the strategist said.
He also said most big Democratic donors have so far been gun shy of the Super PACs, because of Obama's past criticism of such groups. In the 2010 election, Obama charged that GOP groups, fueled with “special interest” money, were threatening to “hijack” democracy.
"We need some of our big birds to get off the wire," the strategist said, noting that some wealthy donors have expressed concerns that they'll be "demonized" if they give to one of the Democratic Super PACs.
So far, Priorities USA Action has had relatively little success in raising funds, reporting last week that it had collected just $4.4 million through the end of last year. A Priorities official said it had raised another $2.3 million via a 501(c)4 arm that doesn’t have to disclose donors. (The Karl Rove-Ed Gillespie-led groups American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS have a similar set up and has raised far more money.)
That $6.7 million is compared to the $30 million raised by Restore Our Future and the $51 million reported raised by American Crossroads and its non-profit, non-disclosed affiliate Crossroads GPS.
The pro-Obama group did report a handful of big checks, including $2 million from Hollywood mogul Jeffrey Katzenberg, $1 million from the SEIU labor union, $100,000 from director Steven Spielberg, and others.
While individual donors can only give $2,500 a piece to official campaign committees, the Super PACs can collect unlimited donations from individuals, corporations, and labor unions. Priorities USA Action also reported last week that $215,000 of its operating expenses were being paid by its non-profit affiliate -- called Priorities USA -- which like Crossroads GPS, does not disclose its donors.
"As much as [David] Axelrod hates to give up this part of the president's message,” the strategist said, “most voters are pretty cynical about this stuff and don't much care.”
*** UPDATE *** Priorities spokesman Bill Burton disputes the notion that Priorities is an "illegal operation."
"We of course are abiding by all appropriate rules and laws," Burton said.
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All this money would make a dent in our current economic termoil. I will never vote for this president since he has proven to me to be a socialist who controls the DOJ, selects justices based on their racial preverances, passes amnesty bills even though the majority of americans voted against and has lowered the american morality standard.
Obama was one of the largest reciepants of wall street donations and never filed legal actions against them,a hipocritic. obama even took money from the unions, something i oppose since its not the unions money, but the union members security blanket when times are hard. I feel todays America is in decline, when big business like GE and wall street own our president.
Obama has not proven to me to be a leader, just another lying elected official using the presidential office and its powers to do his dirty work
Superpacs are a way to equalize the election funding provided by obamas puppet masters.
@numbers guy: Yeah sure. If you say so.
Troll much?
Where have I heard ... every word in your rant (usually in exact order, phrasing and infection)... before?
I think they are written on the cue cards given out at Tea Bagger parties and on BINGO nights at the Klub.
What a bunch of crap! What exactly is a "Super Pac"? Just another term for CORRUPT!!!!
I want a criminal investigation into the entire GOP and all of Wall Street. When convicted we can send them all to the southern prisons with their brother n and let me spend the money to take care of the crooks
hey pdug, I am sure pelosi would love your suggestion, being that it is so idiotic???
Gary K, not only is pdug's comments not idiotic, compared to yours, his is positively brilliant. Not only would Pelosi love his suggestion, so would I and a whole host of people because the tea/kkk/party/republicans are behind this asinine request. They are blowing smoke. They don't want to investigate all of these people taking super pac money, just Obama, who hasn't taken any yet but is looking into it. Boy, this is the year of the repubs really showing us how stupid and disorganized they are and how absolutely hateful they are even to each other.
foxx2, an investigation only on republican's??
It used to be that you could find a reasonable person on the left. Now that anti-American progressive's have taken over the ENTIRE left are idiot's!!!
BTW: vote soros, van jones and obama OUT!!!
Thanks Foxx. Gary k I have run into him several times. He is not on here to debate and learn something possibly, he is one here only to inflame and spread hate and lies He is not worth your time or anyone else's. You noticed I did not reply to him and I suggest nobody else does
pdug can't we just get along, LMAO!!!!
I feel that Pacs and Super Pacs are just a way to buy influence with those they help to elect. In my words to be sure that they get what they want.
I am not one that believes in coincidences so I am naturally suspicious that this group was not interested in any kind of investigation when Romney, Gingrich, Paul and Santorum were enjoying the benefits of the superpacs, and certainly no investigation was called for when Stephen Colbert formed one. But all of a sudden, Obama indicates that (if you can't beat 'em, join 'em) he is going to take SuperPac money and these mf's decide they want an investigation? How "coincidental" is that?
I smell a rat because common sense tells me the only one they will be investigating is Barack Obama's SuperPac and none of the others. They just wanted to get their foot in the door so that they could go after the real target and that is the President. These people forget that when you drop shyt, it smells for miles and miles and no one is fooled by what they smell.
Common sense, LMAO criminal holder will be doing the investigation!!!!
Looks like the Supreme Court is bought and paid for. We should pass legislation that would require them to wear their sponsors patches on their robes, NASCAR style!
LOL, I like that. Hopefully President Obama will get the chance to change the direction of the Supreme Court.
Now that O is going to use this they want an investigation.........wonder why?
oldwolf, they are probably scared S@@tless that he will draw more money than they will. These are the baggers who compromise the party of NO. I would expect nothing less from them. What goes around comes around.
I wish Holder would investigate the GOP PACs, might be interesting on how much foreign money they are getting.
Tax all campaign donations at 75% with proceeds going directly to the national debt, bet that would put a damper on outrageous campaign spending. If not then limit donations and advertising to $5000.
Watch them all cry foul as buying votes will be history and the playing fields leveled.
I think its time to force the supreme court to tell us how they reached thier decision based on our constitution. If they cant, then its time to impeach the ones who supported it. What we have , for all intents and purposes, is the judiciary deciding that our presidential elections must be controlled by those with the most money. They worsen the issue, by allowing foriegn money, in our campaigns.
I am sure that the intent of our constitution, was to greatly restrict the powers of every corporation, and to prevent foriegn influence in any of our elections.
There is absolutley no way anyone can make a constitutional arguement in favor of super PACS, foriegn campaign donations, and many other indirect ways of supporting candidates.
Why did so many people flee England to colonize the western world? To get away from the tyranny generated by the English trading companies (corporations). How many voters have actually read our constitution? How many of our politicians have read the document they swear to uphold? Our founding fathers had nothing but contempt for corporations. Since we have foolishly embraced corporations, regardless of the constitution, we now face the same fate that India, and China did during the years of the East India Trading Co. Totalitarian controll, slavery, inability to controll government.
This nation was founded and built according to the constitution. As we continue to disregard it, we continue to diminnish ourselves. Corporations rob every citizen of the ability to be self employed, and create a wealthy powerful class that isnt supposed to exist according to our constitution and attached bill of rights.
Corporation and constitution are in fact diametric opposites. Corporations will never be satisfied as they endlessly seek more profits. International corporatocracy equals international monopolies. I cant think of anything about corporations that is good for anything or anyone except the owners.
Campaign financing must be reserved for individual registered voters only, and that money should be paid directly to the campaign fund with disclosure.
Quess I won't be watching any of Spielberg's movies anymore...anyone who supports Obama is a traitor to Freedom!
I support Obama and you don't have the guts to say it to my face. Go play with your swastika.
Holder is busy trying to save his azz in congress, can he deputize Acorn to do the investigation???
Anyone with complaints about President Obama's SuperPac decision should write to:
Conservative Activist Judges
c/o Supreme Court of the United States
One First Street N.E.
Washington, DC 20543
I don't care what your party affiliation may be, but this is a great point at which to come to an agreement. It is the citizens in totality that have suffered and will continue in exclusion under this nonsense. I still beleive in "We the people" even if I don't agree with everyones opinions. I would still help my neighbors if they were in trouble, and I know they would do the same. Why have we lost that mindset? Because we've been overwhelmed by all the bs that we are force fed. If you eat enough crap, eventually some will develope a taste for it. Enough is enough.
I like how Obama was against super PACs but now if for them.
I guess that's the change part of hope and change.
Why not? Would you bring a knife to a gunfight? If the GOP wants to play that game I agree with Obama....Go for it!
That's true! We all know Obama and the Republican candidates can't run on their record so they need all these corrupt Super-pac's to brainwash all the vunerable American's that can't make up their mind by themselves.
By golly there still is a lot of money out there. I thought we were all broke. Oh yea only the middle class is broke.
Sucks to be a 99%'er doesn't it?
"So you say you want a rev-o-lu-tion, yeah, yeah...."
The real investigation should be made into the Tea Begger "Crazy Conservative" Supreme Court GOP/RNC Justices. That have been bought by the Koch Brothers, big Oil, big Insurance Corporations, and the big Wall Street Bankers/Investors. They legally created this very "Economically Evil" Super PAC of Poltical Crap, and it is restricted only if one does not have enough money. The GOP/RNC Lobbyists lead by "Goofy Grover," funded this "Mental Madness." NOT the President! That is fact!
""We of course are abiding by all appropriate rules and laws," Burton said."
Yes, of course you are. And enjoying every single loophole your lawyers can find.
This is where the largest part of our problem lies: people do not hold to the spirit of the law, but rather to the very last letter, down to the punctuation.
Exploitation of the law, by exploitation of the language of the law, should be just as criminal an act as breaking the law.
For example, if a law states:
"No person running for public office may attend a meeting of any organization that raises funds for that particular individual." can be circumvented by having said competitor hold a private by-invitation-only party at their private residence.
And while said same law might stipulate "No person running for public office may themselves accept donations directly." this could be just as easily circumvented by having the house maid accept those donations on their behalf, thus not "accepting them directly."
And this happens ALL THE TIME. The spirit of the law is trampled underfoot, while only the letter of the law is upheld.
Politicians and Super PACs. Suuuuure you're independent from eachother (wink, wink).
The investigation should be directed towards the Judges on the SCOTUS as they are the brains that sold out America to the 1% and ruled this nightmare legal....
When the highest court in the land can be bribed, turn out the lights freedom is over..
Super PACs are just wrong and need to be stopped. With Obama expected to raise a billion dollars do the math and figure out what the hourly rate is for every hour he will be in office over the 4 years. Not only should he not be playing golf or taking a family vacation he should not sleep for those 4 years. With that no good can come form this kind of money be spent on anyone or any party.