Are the Justice Democrats (PAC) a money scam to defraud progressives?

[ehrnst]

This article concerns the PAC named 'Justice Democrats,' not the Democratic Party.

"Basically what this shows is that Justice Democrats sells endorsements for a lot of money.

So to recap: Justice Democrats collects money from small donors. People that often don’t have a lot of money and to whom this money actually means something.

As one wrote in JD’s Reddit sub, when someone asked for a website with info on how JD spends their money: “That would be great. I am a monthly donor (of very modest means) to Justice Democrats, and even I don’t know the answer to that questions.”

This money is not used to support candidates, but paid to other PACs and political consultants. On top of that Justice Democrats asked (asked in that JD claims to have stopped that practise) candidates to pay them 95% of their fundraising in return for an endorsement.

What it does with the money it collects this way is unclear.

One thing is clear however: that money is not spend on candidates’ campaigns."

http://www.medium.com/investigator_21314/are-the-justice-democrats-a-money-scam-to-defraud-progressives-63abbcf71be2

[George II]

1. Since January 2017 they have received $2.1M and spent $2.026M

None of that has gone to any candidates, only $28K has gone to other committees.

$1.98M (98%) have been categorized as ""Other Federal operating expenses"!

Details here:

https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00630665/#total-spent

[ehrnst]

4. "Other federal operation expenses"

Is that what they are calling "paychecks for me and my friends" now?

And they are not the only PAC paying more in salaries than in candidate support:

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/21/bernie-sanders-democrats-2018-599331

[George II]

6. It's amazing what you can find buried in the details of FEC filings.

[Wwcd]

29. It says 'In Disarray'..

Revealing Read that answers some of the questions we've been voicing concerns over for awhile now.

Well all I have left to say after reading the article at your link is, good luck!. Building a grassroots org is no easy task with so many personalities at the top.

Thanks ehrnst 🍃

[crazycatlady]

5. One of the things they do provide to candidates

Is a predictive dialer tool so that phonebankers from across the country can make calls for them. These things are not cheap.

[ehrnst]

8. Most of the money JD collects from donors, is funnelled to Brand New Congress, LLC.

Predictive dialing is not a service listed on their website. Although they do sell tee shirts.

https://brandnewcongress.org/

Interesting is where their money went: they have paid a large amount of money to Brand New Congress and some money to ActBlue Technologies, Inc (run by Zack Exley, one of the founders of JD).

In March 2017 JD announced it had teamed up with Brand New Congress.

So it appears that most of the money JD collects from donors, is funnelled to Brand New Congress, LLC and booked as “strategic consulting”.

[crazycatlady]

9. I worked in a primary and one of our opponents was endorsed by JD

HE had people from all over the country hopping on the JD dialer to make calls for him. That's how I know about it.

[ehrnst]

11. I don't doubt that they contracted with a dialer - it's just not where the majority of $$ went.

Interesting is where their money went: they have paid a large amount of money to Brand New Congress and some money to ActBlue Technologies, Inc (run by Zack Exley, one of the founders of JD).

In March 2017 JD announced it had teamed up with Brand New Congress.

So it appears that most of the money JD collects from donors, is funnelled to Brand New Congress, LLC and booked as “strategic consulting”.

Is that clearer?

[George II]

10. Close to 1/3, $605K, of their almost $2M in expenditures went to Brand New Congress.

They have a curious expenditure record, too.

Of the $490K spent since January 2017, $261K (53%) was surprisingly paid to..........Brand New Congress (salaries?)!

The top three recipients of money from BNC, for a total of 68% of their expenditures are BNC themselves, the BNC Executive Director and the BNC Deputy Communications Director.

[ehrnst]

12. Yes, salaries.

Campaigns are a boondoggle for family and friends of some candidates.

[SidDithers]

2. If they're anything like PCCC, then yes...nt

Sid

[crazycatlady]

7. One thing I'll give the PCCC

Is that they have great campaign training webinars. VEry helpful and informative.

[kcr]

13. A reminder. Cenk Uyger, the founder, takes millions from Buddy Roemer

This guy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddy_Roemer

[R B Garr]

16. Great reminder! Rush Limbaugh makes $25M a year

ratfucking. There are only so many spots on the Fox News gravy train. Cenk has found a way to cash in. Look at the absurd hypocrisy on its face: taking money from Republicans while smearing Democrats with the “corporate money” diversion. What an obvious scam! C’mon people, don’t fall for this!

[oberliner]

14. Who wrote this article?

[ehrnst]

17. A quick check of the website indicates it's someone who has published several articles on Medium

and certainly knows their stuff in digging up facts from reputable sources.

It's not the first or only article online that has pointed out some unsettling things about the PAC.

[oberliner]

21. The website does not identify the name of the person who wrote this article

They are referred to as "Investigator" - no actual name given.

I was wondering if anyone here actually knew who that was.

[ehrnst]

25. I don't work at Medium, and they would be the only people who know for sure. (nt)

[NurseJackie]

15. They're not the only one.

One thing is clear however: that money is not spend on candidates’ campaigns."

They're not the only one. There are more than one of these "activist" groups. (Some with more name recognition than others.)

What it does with the money it collects this way is unclear.

I believe they exist only to collect money that sustains their own existence.

This money is not used to support candidates, but paid to other PACs and political consultants.

Apparently, this is a very lucrative scam. Nice work if you can get it, I suppose.

Heaven deliver us from cults and scams! I'm sure there will be many more along the way. We need to spend our money wisely... not foolishly. We need to make certain our donations go to those who are worthy, and honest, and reputable, and who have a proven track record of success.

[ehrnst]

18. Yes, this is some valuable investigative journalism.

Interesting in light of their identification with the Sanders campaign in their fundraising:

https://secure.actblue.com/donate/revolution1

[mcar]

19. Hmmm

Interesting.

[Gothmog]

20. I trust this group as much as I trusted Jill Stein to contest election results

I am glad that I did not fall for the Jill Stein scam and I am not going to fund this group

[oberliner]

22. This article was written before Ocasio-Cortez won her primary

With their support.

[Wwcd]

30. So? What does the questionable money issues have to do with her?

Nothing.
As far as we know.

[msongs]

23. IMO the best move is to donate directly to the candidate nt

[Cha]

24. "justice democrats".. yeah right.

[dalton99a]

26. It is a disgusting scam.

[Wwcd]

27. Wow! Suddenly everyone wants to be a "Democrat"

Justice 'Democrats' is an anti-democratic election year, pop-up group, led by people who have consistantly spoken against the Democratic Party.

The FEC should be investigating Justice Democrats.

And they should remove the label of Democrat since they represent anything but the Dem Party.

[Wwcd]

28. They seem to exploiting the 2018 Campaign for Money & Media

They appear to be Predatory & need to be called to account as to how their fundraising is dispersed.

Looks like a scam.! Where do all the funds go?!

Lets ask Cenk!


Wiki:
Justice Democrats is an American progressive political action committee founded on January 23, 2017 by Cenk Uygur of The Young Turks, Kyle Kulinski of ...

Key people: Saikat Chakrabarti; Zack Exley; Tara Reilley
Founders: Cenk Uygur; Kyle Kulinski; Saikat Chakrabarti; Zack Exley

Revenue (2017): $923,803.95
Registration no: C00630665


Tad Devine is still working for Sanders.
That's nice.

[R B Garr]

31. Tad Devine is still working for Sanders??

Wow...

Interesting post, Wwcd. Republicans heavily donate to Cenk Uygur, but their main opposition is other Democrats. Whatever could that mean...hmm.

[Wwcd]

32. Maybe Old Town Media is now a model for ad buy & fundraising.?

Who knows, but DeVine did create a successful ad buy org with Old Town, and in a very short time too.
Maybe Cenk liked Tad's business model.

Makes sense. Nothing wrong with that. Its just business in the rapid pace of the 21st century.!

Hi RB..