[EL] Release: Groups urge FEC to take action against Chevron for $2.5 mil...

Tue Mar 5 12:08:18 PST 2013

Regarding this comment by Craig:

Also  troubling is that most super PACs are not independent; instead, they 
are tied  closely to a single candidate or a political party, Holman said. 
In fact, 52  percent of the super PACs active in the 2012 elections were 
devoted to aiding a  single candidate, according to a report Public Citizen 
released today, “Super  Connected.”

This comment seems to me to be completely wrong. Independence of a Super  
PAC's activities is not undermine in any way because they are only supporting 
a  single candidate. Lack of independence, or in other words, coordination 
of a  Super PACs' activities is based on communications between a candidate 
and Super  PAC on the candidate's confidential needs and plans or on the 
Super PACs  prospective activities. Supporting just one candidate has nothing 
to do  with this.  Jim Bopp

In a message dated 3/5/2013 2:24:28 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
holman at aol.com writes:

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

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

March 5, 2013

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Federal Election Commission (FEC)  should take 
enforcement action against Chevron for its $2.5 million  contribution to a 
Republican-tied super PAC because it violated a prohibition  against political 
donations by federal contractors, Public Citizen, Friends of  the Earth U.S., 
Greenpeace and Oil Change International said in _a  complaint sent today to 
the FEC_ 
(http://www.citizen.org/chevron-fec-complaint-super-connected-report-update) .

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

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

The ban, also known as the “pay-to-play”  prohibition, was passed by 
Congress in 1940 to curb corruption and the  appearance of corruption due to the 
unique circumstances of private businesses  bidding for lucrative government 
contracts. Such laws have been repeatedly  upheld by the courts, starting 
with the 1995 Blount v. Securities and  Exchange Commission decision and more 
recently in the Green Party of  Connecticut v. Garfield decision in 2010 
and the Wagner v. FEC  decision last year.

Also troubling  is that most super PACs are not independent; instead, they 
are tied closely to  a single candidate or a political party, Holman said. 
In fact, 52 percent of  the super PACs active in the 2012 elections were 
devoted to aiding a single  candidate, according to a report Public Citizen 
released today, “Super  Connected.” An additional six super PACs were closely 
allied with one of the  national political party committees. The 
Congressional Leadership Fund is one  of those. To  read the report, visit 
_www.citizen.org/documents/super-connected-march-2013-update-candidate-super-pacs-not-inde
pendent-report.pdf_ 
(http://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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