We May Finally Find Out Who Is Funding One Of The Nation's Shadiest Dark Money Groups

[applegrove]

We May Finally Find Out Who Is Funding One Of The Nation's Shadiest Dark Money Groups

By Billy Corriher, at Think Progress

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2014/01/24/3203961/dark-money-group-tied-texas-governor-candidate-forced-disclose-donors/

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Last week, the all-Republican Texas Supreme Court rejected a request by a conservative “dark money” group to keep its donors secret. The lawsuit alleges that the Law Enforcement Alliance of America (LEAA) illegally “coordinated” its ads with Attorney General Greg Abbott’s (R) 2002 campaign. If evidence emerges that the LEAA coordinated with Abbott’s campaign, then the millions of dollars it spent on ads could be considered illegal in-kind campaign contributions. That could spell trouble for Abbott’s 2014 gubernatorial campaign, which currently has a huge fundraising advantage over his leading opponent, state Sen. Wendy Davis (D).

The LEAA, which has repeatedly refused to reveal its donors, asked the Texas Supreme Court in 2011 to overturn a lower court’s order which required it to produce records and communications about its activities during the 2002 attorney general election. Two former attorney general candidates sued the group for violations of Texas campaign finance laws. The candidates also sued John Colyandro, who recently pled guilty to criminal charges related to the money laundering scandal which brought down former Rep. Tom Delay (R) and several corporate-funded political groups in Texas.

Long before the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United, the LEAA was a pioneer in dark money. The group, which was founded with funding from the National Rifle Association, has spent millions of dollars in recent years to elect judges and attorneys general across America.

The group has run some disturbing “soft on crime” attack ads. In 2008, it accused Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Oliver Diaz of “voting for drug dealers and baby killers.” The LEAA spent more on ads in that election “than all the other candidates and independent groups put together.” A state ethics committee ruled the ads were false and violated state ethics laws. After the LEAA ran similar attack ads against a Pennsylvania Supreme Court justice, it admitted violating Pennsylvania’s campaign finance laws.




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[elleng]

1. They'll keep fighting this, imo.

We won't know for a while.

[Cha]

2. Kick!