[EL] Release: Groups urge FEC to take action against Chevron for $2.5 milion super PAC contribution

[Craig Holman]

 Press Release: Groups Urge FEC toTake Action Against Chevron for $2.5 Million Super PAC Contribution

Money Given to Congressional Leadership Fund Violates Prohibition onPolitical Giving by Federal Contractors

March 5, 2013

Contact: Craig Holman (202) 454-5182; Jake Parent (202) 588-7779; for broadcastmedia, Barbara Holzer (202) 588-7716; for online journalists, Rachel Lewis(202) 588-7703

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Federal Election Commission (FEC) should takeenforcement action against Chevron for its $2.5 million contribution to aRepublican-tied super PAC because it violated a prohibition against politicaldonations by federal contractors, Public Citizen, Friends of the Earth U.S.,Greenpeace and Oil Change International said in acomplaint sent today to the FEC.

The FEC also should find the super PAC, the Congressional Leadership Fund, inviolation of the law for taking the money, because the people running the groupshould have known the contributions were illegal, the complaint said.

In October, Chevron gave $2.5 million to the Congressional Leadership Fund, asuper PAC reportedly tied to House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and thecongressional campaign committee of the Republican Party. Governmentcontractors such as Chevron are strictly prohibited by federal law from making“any … contribution to any political party, committee or candidate for publicoffice or to any person for any political purpose or use.”

The ban, also known as the “pay-to-play” prohibition, was passed by Congress in1940 to curb corruption and the appearance of corruption due to the uniquecircumstances of private businesses bidding for lucrative government contracts.Such laws have been repeatedly upheld by the courts, starting with the 1995 Blountv. Securities and Exchange Commission decision and more recently in the GreenParty of Connecticut v. Garfield decision in 2010 and the Wagner v. FECdecision last year.

Also troubling isthat most super PACs are not independent; instead, they are tied closely to asingle candidate or a political party, Holman said. In fact, 52 percent of thesuper PACs active in the 2012 elections were devoted to aiding a singlecandidate, according to a report Public Citizen released today, “SuperConnected.” An additional six super PACs were closely allied with one of thenational political party committees. The Congressional Leadership Fund is oneof those. To read the report,visit www.citizen.org/documents/super-connected-march-2013-update-candidate-super-pacs-not-independent-report.pdf




 

Craig Holman, Ph.D.
Government Affairs Lobbyist
Public Citizen
215 Pennsylvania Avenue SE
Washington, D.C. 20003
T-(202) 454-5182
C-(202) 905-7413
F-(202) 547-7392
Holman at aol.com
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