Emma Platoff
10/03/24
(Boston Globe) The Democratic group End Citizens United has filed a complaint with federal regulators against the Jill Stein campaign and Republican operatives who submitted signatures for her in New Hampshire, alleging that the outside political organizations helped the Green Party candidate secure ballot access in what amounted to an “excessive and illegal” contribution to the campaign.
“There is strong reason to believe the Stein Campaign, other Respondents named in this Complaint, and future Respondents yet unknown have grievously violated [campaign finance laws] by making, accepting, and/or facilitating excessive illegal in-kind contributions and excessive illegal coordinated expenditures,” reads the complaint, filed with the Federal Election Commission on Wednesday. The organization is asking federal regulators to investigate and “pursue appropriate sanctions.”
“MAGA Republicans are doing everything they can to undermine our elections to prop up the Jill Stein and Cornel West campaigns because they know Donald Trump can’t win without illegal meddling,” End Citizens United President Tiffany Muller said in a statement. “It’s blatantly illegal to work on their behalf and offer professional services without payment — and yet time and time again these third party campaigns are seeing Republican consultants go far and above what is allowed. Everyone involved in this scheme must be held accountable, otherwise it would set an incredibly dangerous precedent for the future of our democracy.”
If Stein had paid Synapse to collect signatures, the campaign would be required to disclose the help on her campaign finance reports. But Stein’s communications director told the Globe last month the campaign was “not aware of any such effort” in New Hampshire.
The complaint from End Citizens United alleges, though, that the Stein campaign must have known about the effort by Republican groups.
The complaint against Stein and the GOP operatives working in New Hampshire was just one of four filed by End Citizens United this week. The group is also filing complaints alleging wrongdoing by third-party candidates Cornel West and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has exited the race and endorsed Trump.