Marchant illegally used his PAC to promote his campaign for SOS
End Citizens United (ECU) filed an Election Integrity Violation Report with the Nevada Secretary of State against Jim Marchant, Republican candidate for Secretary of State, for illegally using his political action committee (PAC) to promote his candidacy. Marchant is the President of the Conservatives for Election Integrity (CFEI), a Nevada political action committee that aired TV ads advocating to elect Marchant that greatly exceeded the legal contribution limits.
Click here to read the full complaint
“It’s not enough that Jim Marchant undermines our democracy by falsely pushing extremist election conspiracy theories, but now he’s breaking the very Nevada campaign finance laws that he would be charged with overseeing as Secretary of State,” said End Citizens United President Tiffany Muller. “Marchant continues to show why he’s unqualified to be Nevada’s Secretary of State. We’re asking Secretary Cagaske to immediately investigate Marchant’s violations of Nevada’s election laws. Democrat or Republican, no one is above the law.”
Click here to read coverage of the complaint in the Nevada Independent
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Jim Marchant is the President, Registered Agent, and the only reported officer of Conservatives for Election Integrity (CFEI), a Nevada Political Action Committee.
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Marchant has used CFEI to support his candidacy. Campaign finance reports show that in March 2022, CFEI contributed $10,000 to Marchant’s campaign, the maximum amount permitted under Nevada law.
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Since then, however, CFEI has aired ‘independent’ television ads that expressly advocate for Marchant’s election to Secretary of State.
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One TV ad told voters “We need Jim Marchant for Secretary of State” and highlighted his endorsements by the NV Republican Party and Donald Trump.” Another TV ad hit his Republica primary opponent and also stated, “Jim Marchant for Secretary of State.” Both ads contained the disclaimer “Paid for By Conservatives for Election Integrity PAC.”
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Records indicate that CFEI spent over $60,000 to broadcast these commercials, to say nothing of the thousands of dollars it likely took to produce the advertisements.
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CFEI is controlled by Jim Marchant and therefore it cannot be acting independently. Consequently, these ads are “coordinated expenditures” and therefore in-kind contributions that greatly exceed the legal limits.
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Advertisements that are under the direction or control of a candidate or that are solicited or approved by the candidate, are not “independent expenditures” but rather are “contributions” subject to the $5,000 per election limit.
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Under Nevada law, no person may give, and no candidate may accept, contributions in an amount which exceeds $5,000 for the primary election and $5,000 for the general election during the two-year election cycle. In addition to civil penalties of up to $10,000 per campaign finance violation, a person who willfully violates these limits is guilty of a category E felony punishable by not less than one year and not more than four years in prison, and a fine of up to $5,000.
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Marchant and CFEI’s actions are a blatant violation of Nevada’s election laws. ECU urges the office of the Secretary of State to fully investigate these violations and take the necessary actions to enforce Nevada’s election laws. Both Mr. Marchant and CFEI should be subject to fines, and the campaign should be forced to refund the value of the advertisements.
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Marchant is a candidate for Secretary of State, the very office charged with enforcing Nevada’s election laws and he has also served in the Nevada legislature and run for office in Nevada many times. Thus, Mr. Marchant’s actions may also rise to the level of “willful” violations and therefore constitute a category E felony under Nevada law.
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