{"id":2341970,"date":"2024-09-16T16:50:02","date_gmt":"2024-09-16T20:50:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fec-rules-phantom-left-wing-group-filed-false-financial-disclosures-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-09-16T16:56:42","modified_gmt":"2024-09-16T20:56:42","slug":"fec-rules-phantom-left-wing-group-filed-false-financial-disclosures-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fec-rules-phantom-left-wing-group-filed-false-financial-disclosures-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"FEC rules &#8216;phantom&#8217; left-wing group filed false financial disclosures &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffec-rules-phantom-left-wing-group-filed-false-financial-disclosures-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2341970&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Federal Election Commission\u200d (FEC) has determined \u2062that a progressive super PAC known as Americans for Progressive Action USA violated federal law by submitting\u200c false <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/treasury-secretary-called-on-to-recuse-herself-from-advising-biden-on-reddit-rebellion\/\" title=\"Treasury secretary called on to recuse herself from advising Biden on Reddit rebellion\">financial disclosures<\/a> during the\u200b 2020 election cycle. The investigation was prompted by a \u200bcomplaint from Kendra Arnold, director of the Foundation for Accountability \u200dand \u200dCivic Trust, which alleged that the PAC had fabricated \u2063details in its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/report-hunter-biden-still-owns-stake-in-chinese-equity-firm\/\" title=\"Report: Hunter Biden still owns stake in Chinese equity firm\">financial reports<\/a>. The FEC&#8217;s findings revealed significant discrepancies, including\u200d a questionable\u2062 $4.8 million contribution and\u200c a claimed $2.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/de-blasio-will-deploy-additional-nypd-officers-approve-105m-in-police-spending-amid-crime-wave\/\" title=\"De Blasio Will Deploy Additional NYPD Officers, Approve 5M In Police Spending Amid Crime Wave\">5 million expenditure<\/a> on advertising,\u200b which could not be verified by any advertising \u200bplatforms.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, the PAC&#8217;s official phone \u200bnumber was disconnected, and the\u2062 listed bank was located \u2063in an area not corresponding with its provided zip \u2062code. The FEC indicated that Christopher Richardson, the PAC&#8217;s official, knowingly submitted false reports. Earlier\u2063 this\u2063 year, Richardson pleaded guilty to charges related to the PAC&#8217;s fraudulent activities. Although the FEC ruled that the PAC \u2063must stop its\u200c unlawful behavior and file\u2063 accurate reports, it \u2064did not impose\u200c any civil penalties. \u200bArnold expressed dissatisfaction with the \u2062FEC&#8217;s lengthy response\u200b time,\u2064 emphasizing\u200d the need\u2062 for quicker action \u2064on such\u2064 cases to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-has-signed-40-executive-orders-and-actions-since-taking-office\/\" title=\"Biden has signed 40 executive orders and actions since taking office\">maintain public trust<\/a> in the electoral process.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">FEC finally rules &lsquo;phantom&rsquo; left-wing group filed false financial disclosures in 2020<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1735563\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>A progressive <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/super-pacs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>super PAC<\/a> dubbed a &ldquo;phantom&rdquo; in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/2020-elections\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>2020<\/a> violated federal law by filing false financial disclosure reports, according to the Federal Election Commission.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The FEC&rsquo;s ruling was detailed in a letter last week to director Kendra Arnold of the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/watchdog\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>watchdog<\/a> group that demanded an investigation into Americans for Progressive Action USA in May 2020. That super PAC, Arnold argued in a <a href=\"https:\/\/65db7681-e755-4cff-abe7-1d9e373df4db.usrfiles.com\/ugd\/65db76_c9227beace9f4c4aba3cc732b1aed6d7.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>complaint<\/a> at the time, violated the Federal Election Campaign Act with fabrications on its financial disclosures.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;On behalf of the American public, I am pleased this case has been fully adjudicated and the truth revealed,&rdquo; Arnold said in a statement. <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Unfortunately, it took the commission over four years to issue its ruling in a case where the law was clear, which cannot fill the public with confidence that those who violate federal law will be held accountable in a timely manner,&rdquo; Arnold said. &ldquo;Cases before the FEC are often time sensitive and they must act more swiftly to discourage would-be violators from this kind of unlawful behavior.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The discrepancies included a mysterious $4.8 million sum that the PAC received and a $2.5 million sum that it claimed to spend on advertising with businesses that never heard of the PAC &mdash; despite advertising platforms having no record of the activity.<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, the PAC&rsquo;s reported telephone number for its treasurer was disconnected, while its reported bank was said to be located in a city not matching the zip code. <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Respondents knowingly and willfully violated 52 U.S.C. &sect; 30104(b) by filing a false Statement of Organization, false disclosure reports, and false 48-Hour Independent Expenditure Reports with the Commission,&rdquo; FEC officials wrote in the September letter, which also named the PAC&rsquo;s official, Christopher Richardson.<\/p>\n<p>Richardson, who is from Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty earlier this year to two charges stemming from the super PAC&rsquo;s fabricated transactions, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/opa\/pr\/man-pleads-guilty-maintaining-fictitious-super-pac-and-credit-card-fraud\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>according to<\/a> a Justice Department press release. The FEC&rsquo;s new ruling demanded Richardson and the PAC &ldquo;cease and desist&rdquo; from violating federal law and asked the PAC to file accurate reports with the FEC.<\/p>\n<p>But no civil penalty will be due, according to the FEC. Richardson used the false name Evan Jones to file documents with the FEC.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Respondent Christopher Richardson, through the submission of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rudy-giuliani-sued-by-former-lawyers-for-nearly-1-4-million-in-outstanding-bills\/\" title=\"Rudy Giuliani faces .4M lawsuit from ex-lawyers over unpaid fees.\">financial documentation<\/a> to the commission and additional representations, has indicated that financial hardship prevents him from paying any civil penalty to the commission,&rdquo; FEC officials said. &ldquo;Richardson is currently in the process of paying restitution in the amount of $352,000 and has limited assets. The commission regards these submissions and representations as material representations.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The chain of events comes after a <em>Politico<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2020\/05\/05\/americans-progressive-action-super-pac-fake-234316?is_magic_link=true&amp;template_id=OTJIR2CRKUD6&amp;template_variant_id=OTVPXN5JGTYRX\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>report<\/a> in 2020 on the &ldquo;phantom&rdquo; super PAC&rsquo;s shady activities. The fabricated financial disclosures baffled campaign finance experts, who expressed confusion over why someone would make up fake FEC spending reports.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve seen cases when candidates reported all these fake donors and all these fake expenses &hellip; so they can come out and say they raised all this money,&rdquo; Nancy Watkins, a veteran GOP treasurer for political committees, told the outlet in 2020. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s very wealthy people who are easily fooled.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1735563\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1735563\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Federal Election Commission (FEC) has determined that a progressive super PAC, referred to as a &#8220;phantom&#8221; group in 2020, breached federal law by submitting inaccurate financial disclosure reports. This conclusion was outlined in a letter sent last week to Kendra Arnold, the director of the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust, which had requested an investigation into Americans for Progressive Action USA back in May 2020. Arnold claimed at that time that the super PAC had violated the Federal Election Campaign Act by providing false information in its financial disclosures. In her statement following the FEC&#8217;s ruling, Arnold expressed satisfaction with the resolution of this case but criticized the lengthy four-year process it took for the commission to reach its decision on what she believed was a clear violation of law. She emphasized that timely action is crucial for maintaining public confidence and deterring future violations.<\/p>\n<p>The discrepancies noted included an unexplained $4.8 million received by the PAC and $2.5 million allegedly spent on advertising with companies unfamiliar with it\u2014advertising platforms had no record of such activities. Additionally, there were issues with contact information; specifically, the reported phone number for its treasurer was disconnected and its listed bank did not match its stated location.<\/p>\n<p>In their September letter, FEC officials stated that respondents knowingly violated federal law by submitting false organizational statements and disclosure reports to them; they also named Christopher Richardson as an official associated with this PAC. Earlier this year, Richardson pleaded guilty to two charges related to these fabricated transactions according to a Justice Department announcement.<\/p>\n<p>The FEC&#8217;s ruling instructed both Richardson and his PAC to stop violating federal laws and required accurate reporting moving forward; however, no civil penalties will be imposed due to Richardson&#8217;s claims of financial hardship while he is currently repaying restitution amounting to $352,000.<\/p>\n<p>This situation follows earlier coverage from Politico regarding questionable activities linked to this &#8220;phantom&#8221; super PAC in 2020. The misleading financial disclosures puzzled campaign finance experts who questioned why anyone would fabricate spending reports submitted to the FEC. Nancy Watkins, an experienced GOP treasurer for political committees remarked on similar cases where candidates reported fictitious donors or expenses merely for appearances regarding fundraising success\u2014highlighting how easily some wealthy individuals can be misled<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":381,"featured_media":2341971,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/FEC-FACT-complaint-scaled-1024x683.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[10614,41010,33711,32076],"class_list":["post-2341970","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-fec","tag-financial-disclosures","tag-left-wing-group","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/FEC-FACT-complaint-scaled-1024x683.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2341970","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/381"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2341970"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2341970\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2341971"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2341970"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2341970"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2341970"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}