End Citizens United (ECU) filed complaints with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) and the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) against Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA). The FEC complaint states that Congresswoman Greene violated campaign finance laws by using her leadership PAC, Save America Stop Socialism PAC, to make an in-kind donation to her campaign committee above the legal limit of $5,000. The OCE complaint notes that Congresswoman Greene used her campaign committee and leadership PAC for official activities; in this case, opposing a piece of legislation.
Click here to read coverage of the complaints in Axios.
In August 2021, Congresswoman Greene’s campaign committee, Greene for Congress, aired a TV ad that they paid for and approved. A month later, Congresswoman Greene’s leadership PAC, Save America Stop Socialism PAC (SASS PAC), aired a nearly identical ad. The only difference between the two ads was that the SASS PAC video omitted Congresswoman Greene saying she approved the ad and instead input a disclaimer that SASS PAC was responsible for the content of that advertisement. Both of the ads feature Congresswoman Greene speaking directly to camera.
End Citizens United’s FEC complaint states that under FEC regulations, when a leadership PAC pays for “coordinated communications,” and the campaign uses it, the campaign must report it as an in-kind contribution. The contribution also cannot exceed $5,000 per election. Greene’s campaign committee violated campaign finance laws when they did not report her leadership PAC’s TV ad as an in-kind contribution.
In addition, End Citizens United filed a complaint against Greene with the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) for using her campaign committee and leadership PAC for official activities. Under federal law, members of Congress cannot use outside sources of money to fund their official government activities. The two similar TV ads from her campaign committee and her leadership PAC specifically encouraged viewers to “call Congress” and included the phone number for the Capitol switchboard to oppose the INVEST in America Act. By airing ads paid for by her principal campaign committee and her leadership PAC that explicitly opposed a specific piece of legislation and lobbied supporters against the bill, Congresswoman Greene violated those provisions of federal law and House rules.
“Congresswoman Greene has shown a blatant disregard for the law and is engaging in corrupt Washington practices,” said End Citizens United President Tiffany Muller. “Using her leadership PAC in an attempt to get around federal law and regulations is both unethical and illegal. Both the FEC and OCE should immediately begin an investigation and hold her accountable for her self-serving and shady practices.”
Click here to view the FEC complaint
Click here to view the OCE complaint
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