Stop Hillary PAC asks for investigation into pro-Hillary group
Washington (CNN) – Stop Hillary PAC, a group aimed at making sure former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton doesn't become president, filed a complaint on Wednesday against a group looking to do the exact opposite.
In their complaint with the Federal Election Commission, the anti-Hillary group contends that Ready for Hillary, a group urging Clinton to run for president, violated election laws when they rented Clinton’s 2008 campaign email list.
[twitter-follow screen_name='danmericacnn']
The complaint calls for “an immediate investigation” into the matter.
“Hillary let her Presidential & Senate committee’s property – the email list and email address – be used by Ready for Hillary for the purpose of helping draft Hillary,” Dan Backer, Stop Hillary PAC’s lawyer said in a statement. “Of course that’s authorization – what else could it be? That violates federal election law and we’re calling on the FEC to swiftly investigate.”
Earlier this month, Clinton's failed 2008 presidential campaign rented out their email list to Ready for Hillary. The group then sent out an email to those Clinton supporters, offering bumper stickers that read "I'm Ready for Hillary." While Ready for Hillary is focusing on building their own email database, spokesman Seth Bringman told CNN that Ready for Hillary had rented the Clinton email list in order to "connect with her past supporters."
The anti-Hillary group argues this violates campaign finance law because the rental shows Clinton is supporting the work that Ready for Hillary is doing on her behalf.
“Ready for Hillary is in the business of trying to get Hillary Clinton to run for office – essentially to draft her for office. And that’s their right to do so, provided the object of their draft – Hillary – isn't behind it or helping them, because then it stops being a draft committee and becomes an authorized campaign committee,” Backer said.
Some FEC experts disagree with this assessment, however.
“A mailing list or email list itself doesn't seem to fall within the scope of the coordination rules at all,” Paul S. Ryan, senior counsel for the Campaign Legal Center, told TIME.
Although Clinton has yet to declare whether she is running for president in 2016, there has been a flurry of activity around her possible candidacy. Groups on both sides have formed in an effort to urge and stop her from running. Both Ready for Hillary and Stop Hillary were formed shortly after Clinton left the State Department in 2013.
“They're looking for something to do, I guess,” Bringman said. “But we're focused on our nearly two million grassroots supporters who are ready to support Hillary Clinton should she decide to run for president."
This story was first reported by Buzzfeed.
Keep out of hillary clinton 2016
SCANDAL, we need to stop the bridge gate, lets make another scandal, yes, thats it. As much as you want it to go away, its not gonna happen. You see, scandal is not something you generate, its either there, or its not. Christie has shown how he operates, those not in denial already knew this.
democrats don't care about laws... they just like to force them on the rest of us. and then take 50% of our money and complain we don't pay enough.
Nice try goopers. Clearly, the thought of a woman president when the best you can come up with is Jeb or Ted, has you right wingnuts shaking in your boots. Frivolous lawsuits are not going to help the goopers, as it tends to fire up democrats.
Yawn.. more GOP desperation... anything to stop Hilary.
Next they'll be saying that they're being targeted by the IRS because they are applying for a 501(4)c exemption on the PAC. LOL
In their complaint with the Federal Election Commission, the anti-Hillary group contends that Ready for Hillary, a group urging Clinton to run for president, violated election laws when they rented Clinton’s 2008 campaign email list.
The anti-Hillary group argues this violates campaign finance law because the rental shows Clinton is supporting the work that Ready for Hillary is doing on her behalf.
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They're really stretching it now. This could really boomerang back in their faces. What about all of the talking point memos that right wing think tanks send out to conservative candidates on a regular basis?
wtg supreme court
Let me guess, Stop Hillary PAC.....all male group? White? Late 60's in age? Just the usual Repub rubbish.
I love the smell of rightwing desperation on a chilly afternoon!
Poor gop! Oh the horror of it all. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!
just saying wrote:
democrats don't care about laws... they just like to force them on the rest of us. and then take 50% of our money and complain we don't pay enough.
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Please, do not get me started on conservative not caring about laws, most especially regulations and tax laws.
Of course..... Let's fabricate a scandal about Hillary because Tubby is finally showing his true colors. Desperation thy name is the GOP....
Hello Madam President!
@just saying
democrats don't care about laws... they just like to force them on the rest of us. and then take 50% of our money and complain we don't pay enough.
Oh please, stop pretending you aren't poor, white trash.
Bullock (Willard) – Want to run your comment by us again? As a writer for Hannity, you are not very clear.
How cute. You can always tell when the GOP/Teatrolls have nothing left: that's when they resort to their witch-hunts and start playing the game of "accusations are true until proven false, so let's make as many as possible" Doesn't help that the MSM plays along, treating any and all accusations as convictions and pretending the accused bears the burden of disproving them. Anyhoo...looks like the GOP/Teatrolls love turning the elections process into a "free market"...until they don't....which is unsurprising given the fact that they only really believe certain "worthy" people should be able to participate in the economic free market, so why wouldn't they believe that only certain "worthy" people should be allowed to participate in the elections free market?
Something tells me that one of these groups received more scrutiny than the other.... 🙂
Selling or renting an email list is not going to sustain any kind of investigation. So this will disappear almost immediately.
Right. Everyone knows the right way to collude with your PACs is via secret closed-door meetings that just happen to coincide with the party's national convention or some other large political event that provides cover. Just ask President Mittens.
"Some FEC experts disagree with this assessment, however."
Translation: "They all do, which is indicated by the fact that the only ones we could find disagreed with this nonsense, but we're going to paint it as still being up for debate because, well, how else are we supposed to get clicks?"
Cry babies, whiners, scaredy cats, are now flocking into the big tent of the GOP, joining the Birthers, bigots, baggers, and billionaires.
Don't worry. The big push to kill her candidacy will be when it comes down to the wire and the red states controlled by GOP/Teatrolls legislatures and governors try to keep her off their states' ballots.
This reeks if desperation, with good reason, their only hopes is currently in flames. Glass ceiling, not for long.
tom l
Something tells me that one of these groups received more scrutiny than the other....
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Yeah. Yeah, I think you're right. It sounds like one group has spied on the other. Doesn't it?
No need to fabricate scandals for Ms Clinton. They follow both of the Clintons for decades. Would list them, but eventually they get boring. That and China and Nafta are why her husband was impeached. Not Monica. Stand by your man.