End Citizens United (ECU) filed a complaint with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) against Alek Skarlatos, candidate for Congress in Oregon’s fourth district. The complaint states that Skarlatos violated campaign finance laws by accepting a $65,000 donation from a 501(c)(4) dark money group, the 15:17 Trust. The complaint also lists Christopher Marston, Skarlatos’ campaign treasurer who also serves as the treasurer of 15:17 Trust.
Click here to read coverage of the complaint in Oregon Public Broadcasting.
After Skarlatos lost his 2020 election, he founded the 15:17 Trust, a 501(c)(4) group registered in Virginia, purportedly meant to assist veterans. However, the organization appears to be focused solely on fundraising. In February 2021, Skarlatos’ campaign committee donated $93,000 of leftover money from his 2020 campaign to the 15:17 Trust. In May 2021, Skarlatos announced he would again run for Congress and listed Christopher Marston, the treasurer of the 15:17 Trust, as his campaign’s treasurer. Two weeks later, the 15:17 Trust donated $65,000 to Skarlatos’ campaign committee.
The $65,000 contribution violates two provisions of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971: 1) The ban on corporations and 501(c)(4) groups from donating directly to candidates 2) The ban on “soft money” which prohibits federal candidates and officeholders from raising money outside of the federal contribution limits in an election. Skarlatos broke campaign finance laws when he funneled campaign cash to a dark money group he controls and then transferred money from the group to his new campaign.
“The law and the FEC are crystal clear: federal candidates cannot use dark money groups as slush funds for their political campaigns,” said End Citizens United President Tiffany Muller. “Skarlatos’ dark money donation to his campaign is not only self-serving and corrupt but does not fall within the bounds of the law. The FEC should immediately begin an investigation of Skarlatos’ shady campaign financing and hold him accountable.”
The Federal Election Campaign Act, which was amended by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, prohibits corporations (including dark money section 501(c)(4) organizations) from making contributions to candidates and candidates from knowingly accepting contributions from these groups.
The Act’s soft money provisions prohibit federal candidates, their agents, and entities directly or indirectly established, financed, maintained, or controlled by federal candidates from soliciting, receiving, directing, transferring, or spending funds in connection with any federal election, unless the funds are subject to the limitations, prohibitions, and reporting requirements of the Act.
Click here to read the complaint.
###