Democrats widen assault on anonymous campaign cash

Yahoo ^ | 4/21/11 | Alister Bull - Reuters

[NormsRevenge]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A Democratic congressman filed a lawsuit on Thursday against the Federal Election Commission, widening efforts to expose anonymous campaign donations as the 2012 U.S. election gets under way.

Representative Chris van Hollen, the senior Democrat on the House of Representatives' Budget Committee, filed the suit challenging FEC regulations which he said undermined the degree of campaign finance disclosure demanded by U.S. law.

"The absence of transparency will enable special interest groups to bankroll campaign initiatives while operating under a veil of anonymity," Van Hollen said in a statement.

Democrats claim that attack ads worth millions of dollars were unleashed against them in the 2010 congressional election, after a Supreme Court ruling that allowed unlimited spending by corporations, labor unions and other groups.

Democratic President Barack Obama was outspoken in his criticism of the ruling and the White House said an executive order had been drafted to force federal contractors to disclose anonymous campaign donations.

Obama, who officially announced his 2012 reelection campaign this month, has not yet signed the order, which would also identify donations to "third party entities" that Democrats blame for some of the most aggressive ads.

Republicans criticized the move as an attempt to muzzle critics of Obama's administration.

Van Hollen is pressing the FEC to alter regulations installed after last year's "Citizens United" Supreme Court ruling to force them to respect a bipartisan 2001 campaign finance law that he says would bar anonymous donations.

[JoSixChip]

Is he asking about all of obumbers millions of small donation from overseas on pre-paid credit cards? Cause I would love to that investigated.

[Venturer]

By special interest groups he means everyone who contributes to Republicans, but not Unions who contribute to democrats.

These people are very transparent.

[arrogantsob]

So he is suing the FEC for abiding by a Supreme Court ruling? This guy must be a real Brainiac.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks NormsRevenge.

• [Openly gay club owner Lee] Farkas guilty on all 14 counts (Faces 420 years) -- [Liz adds:] THIS IS INTERESTING----COULD BE A DEM CAMPAIGN MONEY LAUNDERING SCHEME Farkas' scheme grew to encompass the federal government when Farkas led an effort to raise $300 million in capital so Colonial BancGroup Inc. could receive Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) funds in 2009... Farkas could have been using the Madoff MO: creating a labyrinth of interrelated international funds, institutions and financial entities of unparalleled complexity and breadth......with assets and businesses in multiple places offshore that hid government fraud, thievery, money launderering, tax evasion, out of sight of taxpayers, the IRS, SEC, FEC and US banking laws.

[AmericanVictory]

Wouldn’t we all?

[newzjunkey]

By special interest groups he means everyone who contributes to Republicans, but not Unions who contribute to democrats.

You guessed!

[cookcounty]

A nice dollop of misdirection from Mr. Van Holland, it was the OBAMA campaign that WROTE THE BOOK on anonymous contributions in 2008.

[TigersEye]

What amazing arrogance. OK, 0bindle, let’s see an account of every contribution to your ‘08 campaign you lying piece of dog excrement.